My Heart Is Not My Own
by Ideal Form
Summary: Who said Magic school was only for Magicians? Follow our white haired Devil hunter as he and his idiot uncle try to save the world...eventually.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own the rights to Devil May Cry or Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei cuse if I did Nero would be in a whole lot more Anime crossovers. Plus he's like one of my favorite characters ever!

Hello everyone, it's me again back with a new story. I have some more ideas on my mind and I'm still updating the others I have but writing is so much fun especially writing for my fans, love you guys and please enjoy!

With that, let us begin the story!

**Opening**

**(Roots by Uverworld)**

Chapter 1

(Who Needs School?)

* * *

"**Damn you, you annoying little pest!**" A mysterious figure stated their frustration aloud while dodging bullets fired from a very powerful Model 500 dual barrel S&W Magnum Custom. The captivating gun was a thing of absolute beauty. Engravings of roses traveled along the barrels and down toward the grip handle of the magnificent firearm.

"Look, we both seem like really busy people…am I right? So let's do each other a favor and speed this up. How about it?"

"**You bastard, your nothing but a half breed!"**

"Your point?"

"**That vile blood runs through your veins as well. You cannot be allowed to live." **Hearing this, Nero, a now fully fledged Devil Hunter looked at everything around him in a bored annoyance. The place was a complete wreck thanks to the demon that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Yeah, for some strange reason I do get that a lot."

"**You think a half breed like you, even though you carry the blood of Sparda can defeat me…Belmont?" **The now named demon Belmont said as he stood at least one hundred feet tall with black hard skin, almost like obsidian with purple embers escaping the cracks of his body. It's eyes were Intimidating, red and a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. There was a wave of violet colored flames leaking into the atmosphere that the demon continued to release into the air. Horns on his head that looked harder than even the toughest of steel. The enormous demon had black chains around his forearms, pulsating violently to hopefully place fear in the younger Hunter. But in the end it had an opposite effect. Nero rolled his arm mockingly to signal the demon to hurry up. They were doing nothing but wasting time at this point.

"**I'll feast of your chest cavity after I kill you, you worthl…."**

"Ok…ok I get it already! You want me dead, feasting on my chest cavity, nothing left of me. Did I get it all right?" Not saying anything else, the demon had enough of this form of disrespect. With almost blinding speed it tried to speed blitz Nero, causing him to dodge in mock surprise as landed on top of a nearby rooftop. You would think that with its size that Belmont would have no trouble hitting someone so close to him and yet Nero did so almost effortlessly.

"Whoa there big fella…you gotta be more careful. You all most got me that time." Nero's face bore a mock surprised look as he checked his clothes for any damage.

"**You are way too confident even knowing you are going to die this day!"**

"Hmmm…you don't say? Look, here how about this…" Nero placed his hand over his eyes in an attempt to rile the demon up further. Well, it was sure working if that was the result he was looking for.

"I'll even give you a handicap…take it or leave it, it your last chance!"

"**DON'T YOU EVER DEGRADE ME IN SUCH A WAY YOU HALF-BREED!" **

"It took you long enough…" Now placing his gun back in the holster attached to his coat.

"Unfortunately, I have a curfew so we're going to have to hurry this up." Removing a human sized bastard sword that was a mixture of red, silver and gold he began revving it like a motorbike handle. **(Red Queen)** the incredible sword was spiting flames as it started to burn brighter and brighter showing how it was increasing the heat in the atmosphere the more Nero twisted its handle. It was certainly a beautiful blade indeed.

"Again, if it was the weekend I would have found more time to fit you into my personal schedule so don't take it the wrong way." now kicking off the ground causing debris to scatter while surprising the demon with his tremendous speed and strength. Nero found his way to the side of the demon's right shoulder while in mid-air. He pulls Red Queen back trying to gain momentum hoping for a clean cut through the demons torso. But the demon Belmont was no slouch himself. It was already on the counter with its own slash attack causing the Nero to duck under it as incredible wind pressure brushed past him. Nero skillfully performed a leg sweeping maneuver combined with his air-hike to gracefully move around the demon. Nero jumped off Belmont's massive arm while his grip was held tightly onto Red Queen. The sword's vengeful screams filled the area and warmed the air. Nero had one thing on his mind and that was to kill this demon.

"I'm a pretty nice guy y'know so it bothers me quite a bit not knowing how you feel about dying. So in exchange, I'm going to end this in an instant for both of our sakes." swinging down with such great speed and force, clearly intent on ending the fight with a single strike. Belmont saw Nero's attack coming and actually hit him in the chest. The direct hit from his enormous fist sent Nero sailing into the buildings next to them. The impact from his body alone caused the buildings to collapse on top of him. Being buried under rubble wasn't a fun experience at all. If anything it only made his whole ordeal more annoying.

Belmont was looking on with amusement ready to boast about his accomplishment.

"**What did I tell you boy? You never stood a chance against me! And to make you feel true despair, I'll kill the ones you love next as well until there's no…"** Wait...something was off, felt wrong even. Stopping in the middle of his speech, the demon was feeling something strange. Looking down to his left arm he noticed it was missing from the bicep down.

"**GHHAH! W-WHEN DID YOU…?" **Now holding his half stub of a detached arm, Nero started to knock the rubble away from his body.

"And here I thought you wouldn't notice." now showing Belmont that he had the demon's severed arm that was easily ten times his size. Nero simply tossed it in front of Belmont, crashing into the ground with a huge thud.

"That's what you wanted right? Don't worry, you can have it back. Besides, I think I like my own arm a lot better anyways." Flexing his own arm, Nero looks to the demon with a cocky taunt. Seconds later he disappeared from view with pure speed as he reappeared behind the demon Belmont. But what the hell was this feeling in the air all of a sudden? The huge demon was now letting off a foul aura that made the air feel extremely heavy.

"**How shameful. Forcing me to use this form on a half-breed. Boy, you should be honored." **Belmont said as his size seemed to increase making his already huge body enormous! But even though that was occurring, what was really strange was purple fire now started to coat his body.

"**Be prepared. Don't get distracted and lose focus, because when I use my real power…whatever I consume, the stronger I become!"**

* * *

"Onii-sama, we are supposed to take our entrance exams tomorrow and I'm a bit excited… " A teenage girl with bluish black hair and blue eyes said as she eagerly looked to her brother who had a darker coat of black for hair with blue eyes as well.

"Miyuki…"

"Tatsuya…please, I want you to be there with me while I attend school…" Miyuki said cutely as she used her hand to rub her arm shyly. All she could do was look quietly at the ground as if the action would make her feel more at ease but her brother could see her distress and released a small sigh. Rising from his position on the couch, Tatsuya started to make his way to his sister in an attempt to comfort her. He always hated seeing her like this and it didn't help that she was giving him the puppy eyes either.

"Miyuki, I promise you that everything will be alright. Me and you **will** both be attending First High. That much I can promise you. So don't worry." rubbing her head reassuringly as she looked into his eyes in a daze. Her brother was doing his best for her sake so Miyuki felt it was only fair that she would do the same for him.

"Onii-sama…" closing her eyes with a small smile on her features, the girl whispered in a barley heard murmur as a smile graced her pretty face.

"I love you…"l

* * *

Disciples were training in the open court of a temple as a middle aged Japanese man was looking at them run through fighting stances. It was such a nice day outside that afternoon. He couldn't help the thought of maybe spending his evening tonight catching up on some of his video games. Those souls games were really something else. *Ring-ring-ring* his phone suddenly started to ring. Motioning the students to continue, he gets up walks off to a more private location. From the smile on his features it was obvious he knew the person on the other side of it.

"Yaahhh! How long has it been since we last talked my friend?" The bald Japanese man with a scar over his right eye and some peach fuzz under his chin said.

"Too long right Yakumo?" The voice said on the other line of the phone only causing the ninja to laugh a hearty chuckle.

"Ha-ha-ha! Indeed it has my friend. Indeed it has…" he said cheerfully before his expression turned deadly serious and so did his voice.

"You heard about what's going on right? The increase of demons disguised as humans killing innocent people." He said as the other voice on the line also became more serious.

"Yeah, I heard about it and it seems like it's getting out of control over there in Japan."

"It is…but that's not even the bad part. I received some information from **them** in regards to…** IGNUS.**" This caused the individual on the other side of the phone to sit up straight in his chair signaling they were now giving their full attention.

"They intend to flush him out. That's why they are secretly gathering magicians to build an army strong enough to defeat him should he ever appear again. But there are still those who are naïve and blind to the government and the way they operate. After all, we should know better than anyone. Isn't that right…Dante?"

"…I'm getting too old for this…" was all Yakumo received as a reply causing the mood to lighten up a bit.

"You and me both my friend. You and me both." Yakumo said happily as they both fell into a deep silence for a few moments. "So what's the plan? Is it going to be like old times?" The bald ninja suddenly asked Dante. Even though everything seemed like it was going to shit, Dante could not help but smirk.

"Who knows? Recently it's not just me around the shop anymore. I'm probably going to send over my cute little nephew and he can help you until I find the right time to make a move. Oh, and do fill him in once he gets there. I'm terrible at explaining things in detail."

"Not just little but cute too? He must be a handful." Yakumo joked before regaining his seriousness.

"Is he strong?" He had to know for sure if this kid was the real deal or not. But of course, Dante being well…Dante answered in kind while leaning back in his chair.

"The bastard has my blood running through his veins so what do you think?" he did have a point about that. This gained a laugh from Yakumo as the bald man shook his head. He missed times like these. It wasn't every day that he was able to joke with an old friend.

"Then I'll look forward to…"

"His name is Nero. Just trust me…you'll know it's him as soon as you come across each other."

"Let me guess…his white hair?"

"Are you pulling my leg again Yakumo?"

"Ha-ha, I'll see you around…old friend."

"Count on it."

* * *

Nero was blocking his face from the immense pressure Belmont was oozing from his body. The surrounding area wasn't doing too well from the look of things. As time went on, things were hit with bone crushing gravity reducing it to nothingness. Nero's long blue Holy Order coat was flailing in the wind as the immense pressure was increasing gradually as time passed. Nero was pretty annoyed by this. His facial expression stayed calm as if all of the destruction around him was not an impressive feat but his irregular breathing made it pretty obvious.

"You done powering up yet?" Nero asked Belmont who did not say anything at all. He just opened his mouth as a huge ball of dark energy started to form, crushing the buildings next to him. Releasing the humongous draft of gravity pressurized demonic energy, it continued to make its way toward Nero. Building after building was destroyed easily with just its traveling presence alone. Nero was standing in his spot and holding his ground. He was not moving or wavering in the slightest from this display of power.

Nero closed his eyes as the wind increased around him, coat fling around more and more as the ball of gravity came closer. As the gravity ball entered into Nero's personal space, time seemed to slow down to a crawl.

"As if something like this could kill me…" Wait, why doesn't he dodge?

*BOOOOOMM!*

The Gravity ball connected. It was a direct hit and everything within a four hundred foot radius was completely obliterated. The demon Belmont could only scoff to himself in disappointment.

"**Like you even stood a chance against me…such foolishness…" **the tall demon said as he started to walk away from the battlefield. He was so heavy that just him walking was causing the ground to shake from his immense size and weight.

"If I'm the first to survive that attack…does that mean I at least get a prize of some sort?" Nero's voice called out behind the smoke and broken rock. With a wave of his hand it extinguished all the rocks and smoke that was near him. Such a feat of strength was to be recognized.

The look of utter shock was present on Belmont's features was almost comical. The thought of someone surviving such a concentrated amount of energy baffled him. What in the world was this boy?

"**W-what kind of abomination are you? That is impossible! No one can survive an attack of that magnitude!" **And to make things worse he noticed Nero didn't have a single scratch or broken bone on him. His clothes weren't even scuffed from the impact.

"**What witchcraft is this?"**

"Wait, were you trying to kill me? Wow! Sorry about that. If I would have known, I would have at least played dead for a bit or something. Man…now I feel bad." Nero lightly taps on the ground with his foot causing vibrations to run through the earth as it started to crumble under his own demonic energy. Popping out of the ground was a decently sized rock as big as a basketball. Lightly tapping it with is foot made it burst out with immeasurable speed and force. It moved so quickly that it burned like a meteorite entering earth's atmosphere. Slicing past the demon Belmont, it in the process took a chuck of his chest off and his remaining arm with it. Pain…there was nothing else to call this sensation but absolute pain.

"**GUAHH!…" **blood oozing from his open wounds, Belmont looks up to see Nero causally sitting on top of some recently created rubble with an unreadable face.

"What's with that face? Don't look so shocked. It of course comes at a price. You see, whenever I use my magic to that degree, my heart will stop beating until I release my control over whatever I'm manipulating. I can't do it every time I feel like it or I'll eventually die." Now looking to the ground where Nero saw his Red Queen, he sighed dropping down to pick it up before slowly making his way to the hurt demon.

"I'm a cultured man after all so I'll make sure you don't suffer…"

"**No wait! I can grant you anything your heart desires…anything!"**

"Dumbass…I already have everything I need." Nero leaped off the ground as the earth beneath his feet cracked from the strength of his powerful legs. He intended to finish off Belmont with a painless strike if possible.

"**No…..No….NOOOOOOOOOOO!"** slowly the head of Belmont was falling from his enormous shoulders. An earthquake shook the surrounding area as it finally hit the ground below. Belmont's body started to turn to ash and purple fire. The soul of the demon started to emerge from its body in a purple glowing ball.

"**Are you my master?" **The soul asked as if it was reborn anew.

"**With the contract of blood only you will be able to use my power."** Nero blocked his face from the bright glow as he saw the demon's soul started to form into a devil arm right before his eyes. It started to morph into a European Claymore. The blade was all black but the guard had a purple gem that looked to hold the gravity core of Belmont's abilities from earlier. The guard also had the engraving of a Diablo in silver as the lower hilt was black and silver. Where the blade met the handle of the sword were black chains holding the sword in place almost like a seal. The blade was emitting pulses from the razor sharp edges used to butcher its prey.

"**Let me taste thy blood and I will serve thee for eternity."** Now grabbing it, Nero brings out his left arm slicing the claymore against it. His blood traveled down the blade all the way to the gem causing it to create a seal on his arm before it started to disappear inside of his body.

"**The contract has been complete. You may now call upon the power of my gravity manipulation at will…"** the Belmont devil arm said as its very aura could crush anything. Taking practice swings, Nero uses a wide stance quickly cutting the air. Shockwaves with purple pulses of energy left the blade to engrave the ground and buildings surrounding him. The vibrations were felt through the earth. It was nothing short of an earthquake as the ground beneath him caved in. Nero remembered what Belmont said earlier. _"__**Be careful… because whatever I consume the stronger I become!"**_

"No kidding!" Nero inspected his new weapon with interest. Bending his knees as he re-entered his stance Nero leaped in the air once more. Performing ten strikes instantaneously created another loud shockwave in the surrounding area. The middle of the building was molten ember while it slowly split in half. Seconds later, he sees that the cut he made started to compress and implode on itself similar to that of a black hole. It was Incredible…

As nice as this all was Nero cursed to himself for taking so long with finishing of the demon Belmont. Nero and his EX rank unlucky stat. He might as well start heading back now.

"Damn it."

* * *

"Yo! I'm back. Wait, where's Lady and Trish?" Nero asked while taking off his coat and hanging it up as he walked over to Dante's desk.

"They had to take care of some important business of course. You aren't the only one that takes up jobs around here Nero. But enough about that…" Dante said looking like he was in the middle of thinking about the right words to say. But seriously, how was he going to handle this? Oh well, he will just have to wing this like everything else.

"Anyway, Nero…I've decided…" now kicking his legs up on his desk while bringing his arms behind his head.

"What have you decided?"

"That I would enroll you in a school in Japan for magicians. Also, you have to take your entrance exam in three days." This caused Nero to stare at Dante for at least twenty seconds without moving or speaking a word. He could have sworn he heard his idiot uncle wrong. Walking over to Dante's desk he suddenly slammed his hand on it hard enough to make it implode on itself. Dante looking at his now broken desk with a dropped jaw then glared at the teen.

"Nero! What the hell man!"

"ME WHAT THE HELL!? NO, YOU WHAT THE HELL DANTE!" Nero wasn't having it!

"Chill out man! It's for your own good. You are still the age that teens are in school and I have a friend kind enough to put in a good word for you. Besides, Kyrie said she was ok with you going to learn overseas. I know if she's ok with it then you're ok with it." Dante said brushing of Nero's early outburst.

"Except for the fact I'm not ok with it even if she's ok with it! Dammit Dante! I wanted to grow up in the family business! How could you just make a decision like this without asking me?"

"You will…trust me. By doing this you'll be helping a great deal." Dante seemed surprisingly serious when he said that. Nero would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that he was slightly caught off guard for a moment.

"But, Japan…really JAPAN! We live in North America! A.M.E.R.I.C.A! You couldn't have just homeschooled me instead?" Nero tenderly rubbed his temple thanks to the sudden throbbing headache he received courteous to his unbearable uncle.

"Yes Japan, it might not seem like much but they have some of the best magicians in the world there. So tell me…what better way for my cute little nephew to learn something new even though your own magic is quite…unique."

"You better have a good reason for this or I swear man…" Nero still clearly upset as he could be seen grabbing for blue rose. Dante could only hold his hands up in defense.

"Whoa there Clementine…this can teach you some important things. Especially how this world works." Leaning forward with a slight serious voice and unfazed gaze by the gun in his face Dante continues.

"There are things that are best left unknown but what you don't know can terrify you. There are things going on here that are much bigger than me and you Nero. You're going to Japan and that's final." His voice was so demanding yet serious and Nero knew what a serious Dante could do especially when angered. He sucked his tongue and re-holstered his gun. Damn idiot!

"Thank you very much! And before I forget to mention it, I have a friend there by the name of Takumo Kokonoe, he'll want to talk with you personally about this whole…arrangement." Dante stated.

"Don't worry; I have directions on how to get to his place so relax."

"Why do I feel that I should be more worried now since you said I shouldn't be?" Nero was already feed up with his uncle. What the hell was his problem anyway? Going behind his back and making decisions for him like that? It pissed him off.

'_Maybe I can just flunk the entrance exam so I don't have to worry about going to that damn school…' _Nero thought to himself actually thinking it wasn't a bad idea.

"Oh, and if you're having any ideas of flunking on purpose it's not going to work. You see…me and my friend Yakumo have some really good connections. Thankfully the one giving you your test owes us a big time favor so even if your score is low, you're pretty much in for the ride kid."

"You…are an asshole! You knew what I was going to say and planned this from the very beginning didn't you?" Dante simply nodded his head, closing his eyes and used his hands as a support for the back of his head.

"I swear…" Nero's hair shadowed his eyes as he shook violently in his spot. Dante could feel the atmosphere getting heavier so out of reflex he stood up before it got out of hand. *Ding* suddenly the shop bell rang signaling someone entering through the front door. Dante released a sigh he didn't know he was holding and wiped away fake sweat from his brow. It was just the person he was hoping would stop by.

"Nero congratulations! I'm so happy you are trying to further your education!" Nero's childhood friend Kyrie and sister figure said causing his features to soften up a bit but he still made sure to still send a glare towards his uncle.

"Yeah, you know….I just couldn't wait to start school…" Kyrie raised her eyebrow at the rising tension she could feel in the room. She noticed him giving his uncle a fierce glare.

"Nero, what's wrong?" asking him with her worried eyes. There wasn't really anything wrong per se. It's more so the fact that this was decided without his say so to begin with.

"It's nothing. Just a stupid bet I lost is all." he said before looking at the said man again "that damn cheater…" he finished making Dante cough in his hand to defuse the atmosphere.

"Ok! Kyrie here came over because she wanted to wish you luck on your schooling overseas. After all, she supports your decision one hundred percent, right Kyrie?" Dante gained a nod from the brunette female in the room who couldn't help the smile that her lips formed. Nero was growing up so fast. It seemed like it was only a few years ago that it was him along with her and her late brother Credo. Time was flying before her very eyes. But hearing the news that Nero wanted to do this made her want to support him on his journey no matter what he decided.

"I'm so happy for you Nero! Really, so please make sure you don't get yourself into any trouble while you're over there ok?"

"Uhh…yea." Straightening his back and looked into her eyes reassuring her that everything was fine.

"I'll be fine…I promise." Nero softly said. Dante gained a barely noticeable smile. He loved getting his way and now was no different than any other time.

"Then you should go and pack for your trip. Well, don't just stand there. Chop, chop!"

* * *

Nero was now ready for his trip to Japan. He was wearing black Retro Combat boots with black skinny jeans as the bottoms of his jeans were stuffed inside his boots, while having a black belt that hung down off to the side. He then had a black Beater with an open gray Slim Army Jacket with red interior as the jacket's arms were rolled up to elbow level showing his black wristband on his right arm.

"I guess this is it kid. Finally on your way to becoming a man." Dante teased the young devil gaining a grunt in response. What was he trying to say anyway? He was one to talk. Especially from his lack of being a proper man himself.

"Oh would you knock it off Dante! Let him be. After all, he might actually come back more of a man than you." Trish said as she smirked at her jab toward the older man. "And trust me that won't take that much effort."

"Hey, now hold on..."

"She's right you know. You are just a kid in a man's body." Lady said in a matter of fact type of tone.

"Lady, you're not helping!"

"They're both right about you though…" Nero finally spoke up this time causing Dante to change the topic from obvious embarrassment.

"Anyway, by the time you get to Japan you will most like need to take your entrance exam. First High School should be on that map I gave you as well. Oh, and don't be late!" Dante said adding the last part with a glare before continuing.

"And I know Kyrie wanted to be here to at least see you off but she was supposed to visit the sick children at the hospitals today…" Nero could understand. Knowing how Kyrie was always caring for others more than herself.

"Yeah…" Nero just didn't want to leave. Damn his stupid uncle and his ridiculous reasons for this whole situation. As Nero was in deep thought he was knocked out of it when suddenly someone's arm found itself around his shoulder. As he looked to see who it belonged to, he spotted Trish giving him a playful wink.

"Hopefully you don't tempt women while you're gone like your idiot uncle here. After all…" now moving closer to his ear as she teasingly whispered "You wouldn't want to hurt my feelings now would you?" Wearing a mock painful expression as she stared at the teen. Nero stared blankly at Trish, gently brushing her arm off his shoulder.

"Yeah...right…" Nero's voice was monotone which made the blonde smirk even more from his reaction. She enjoyed messing with him from time to time but it was clear to her that he was starting to get used to it. He really was growing up.

"Women are unpredictable creatures Nero so you'd best not underestimate us." She finished,walking to re-join both Dante and Lady who were still in the middle of waving thier goodbyes to him. Nero waved over his shoulder with his back facing them as he continued to walk towards the entrance to board. This was the beginning of a new chapter in his life and the others felt like the young boy they used to know was leaving the bird's nest to find his own wings. It was almost as if he was being forced to fly on his own.

"He'll be ok by himself won't he?" Lady asked Dante as Trish also looked at the man for his answer. Dante crossed his arms and gave Lady's question much thought as still looking at Nero's retreating form.

"That…is something entirely up to him."

* * *

Currently in Japan, it was 7:45 A.M. in the morning and both of the Shiba siblings were up and about ready to start their day.

Tatsuya was seen typing up a document regarding the model of his new invention on his laptop. Suddenly, out of nowhere he felt a shiver travel down his spine that made him twitch in his spot. The action did not go unnoticed by his sister who was nearby.

"Onii-sama, what's wrong?" Miyuki asked her brother causing the boy to shake his head to defuse her worries.

"It's nothing…I just think I felt a chill is all." Tatsuya said not entirely lying but that feeling he had was definitely an uneasy one.

"Oh…well I'll just close the windows then so you don't catch cold." Miyuki now getting up to do so while Tatsuya gave her a small smile.

"You don't have to trouble yourself Miyuki."

"Don't be silly Onii-sama. I'll do anything to make sure you are well and in good health." after realizing her bold clam the bluenette blushed in obvious embarrassment.

"I mean…that's what any sister would want for her brother…" Miyuki was trying her best to find a good excuse to not stumble on her words.

"I'm glad you are so worried about me Miyuki." Tatsuya walked up to her rubbing her head affectionately as it earned a deeper blush from the younger sister. Miyuki loved the warmth of her brother. She was in such bliss that she almost forgot something important. Oh wait…

"Onii-sama, our entrance exams are in three hours from now. I know you will be ok but I still want to wish you luck." Miyuki said as her brother gave a small nod.

"I will do my best Miyuki. Even if we are not in the same class, I hope to be at the same school as you." this caused the sister to frown since there was that possibility of her not being placed with her brother.

"Miyuki look at me." doing what she was asked she stares into his eyes.

"Nothing in this world will separate us…I will always protect you no matter what. So please don't forget that." still looking into her eyes.

"Onii-sama…I know you can score the highest on your exam, so I won't burden you anymore with my worries."

"No, I'm glad you care about my well being Miyuki. Truthfully, I'm extremely glad."

"Onii-sama…" Now looking away from his sister, Tatsuya peers out at the landscape of the city from their balcony with a strange feeling in his chest.

"_Just what was that feeling I felt a moment ago? Something doesn't seem right."_ He thought to himself with a calculating gaze still viewing out of the window. Miyuki noticing his gaze was elsewhere, followed his line of sight. He was acting a bit strange.

"Onii-sama what's wrong?" Miyuki's question caused him to be knocked out of his thoughts to reassure her that everything was fine.

"It's nothing Miyuki. Let's get ourselves prepared to leave." Gaining a nod from the girl, Miyuki then left to get ready for the day. Tatsuya was still wondering what he felt enter the city. He will have to just be more cautious from now on.

"What was that?"

* * *

"What's with this shitty map?" Nero, currently in Japan, stepped out of the cab trying to make his way to Yamuko's temple. Even though he did not care for much attention, he was getting plenty of it from younger and older women alike. Maybe it was for his extremely good looks or because he was a foreigner?

His silky white hair and blue eyes, European features etc. seemed to cause the younger ones to gossip about the beautiful foreign teen. However, Nero being himself carried his belongings over his shoulder while completely ignoring them.

"I have to at least admit that this place doesn't look half bad." Nearing a place that seemed to have a long pathway of stairs, it looked like a huge upper wall that surrounded big double doors that could easily fit a sixteen wheeled truck through it. Over the wall he could see the top of what looked to be a big temple. Maybe he was finally at the right place? Finally…

"Looks like this is it…" Nero examined the full length of the stairs before taking in a breath.

"What's the deal with all these steps anyway?" Shifting his belongings on his shoulder Nero began a running start. Making sure no one was around to see him, he leapt with a powerful jump gracefully landing in front of the temple doors that were currently closed. But something else caught his attention when he landed. On the right, there was a sign that said **'Only those who can open these doors can challenge this dojo'** on the side.

"So this is a dojo? I thought this was a temple? Whatever, it doesn't matter…" Nero started to inspect the large doors and while doing so he noticed something was off about them. He had to admit…they were huge. The doors had to be at least twenty feet tall. However, what Nero didn't know was that this was one of the things this temple would do to keep most unwanted fights at bay. Usually when the doors were open was only when the residence of said dojo knew Tatsuya and Miyuki would be on their way. The Shiba siblings would usually show up around the same time almost every day so they knew when to open the doors. Nero used his knuckle to knock on the door to test its sturdiness and realized something interesting as he raised an eyebrow at how ridiculous it actually was.

"Are these people serious right now? This is pure steel. No normal person would be able to open this with just brute force…" Nero on the other hand placed his index and pointer finger from his left hand in the middle and centered them between the seal that separated both doors. Taking another deep breath he pushed them forward as the huge steal doors flung open with great haste.

Nero made sure he took his time slowly walking through the doors. Wait, he noticed that no one was there…like no one at all. Seeing as no one was around, he made his way toward the big temple building in the center of the field. Hopefully someone was inside that he could talk to?

"HELLO! I'M LOOKING FOR A MR. YAKUMO!" Nero yelled trying to see if anyone could hear him but before he made it toward the middle he felt someone behind him and thankfully he trusted his gut because not a second later a kick was placed where he was just standing.

Graceful in his maneuver, he did a Barani front flip so he could fix his position to see who attacked him from behind. As he landed on his feet, Nero found not one but three different people looking at him with hostility. "Who are these bastards anyway?" Nero said to himself aloud before he heard more running around him. Seven more bald men came from out of thin air and circled behind him readying themselves in a fighting stance. Seeing that they were ready to attack, Nero raised his hands up in defense. He really didn't feel like going through this today.

"Whoa…I don't want any trouble alright! I'm just looking for a man by the name of Yakumo Kokonoe." This caused one of the many bald headed men to come up to Nero with a narrowed gaze.

"What business does a foreigner have with our master?" The bald monk asked now retaking his stance out of instinct.

"Speak now! I don't know how you were able to get passed our doors but I will not let you just waltz in here outsider." Nero's own expression looked slightly annoyed since no one wanted to hear him out. All he wanted was just to talk to this Yakumo guy and get it over with.

"Like I said, I was told to come see hi…" Nero was cut off by one of them trying to throw a punch at the side of his head causing him to lean back before kneeing said person in the stomach. The force from the blow made them spit up bile from their mouth. It's not like it was intentional or anything, Nero only retaliated out of instinct. It wasn't his fault; they were the ones to attack him without warning. Still, everyone stared the other down as they analyzed the current situation. The battle was on. More started to jump at Nero ready to pound him into the ground as the Devil Hunter skillfully evaded two of them, sweeping their legs off balance. In the middle of doing so he gently tossed his belongings away so they did not receive any damage in the upcoming fight.

Of course Nero being himself wore a expression of mock surprise as he ducked under a roundhouse kick. *Whistle* whistling as he watched the leg go over his head he quickly leaned back up performed a graceful butterfly twist over a leg sweep he would have received.

"Wow. Haven't you guys ever heard of a good first impression when you have a guest?" Nero only added fuel to the already lit fire as one of them who seemed more skilled than the other's rushed forward. As he threw well thrown punches toward Nero's face and chest area, Nero agreed that he was without a doubt the biggest threat there.

'_Compared to the rest of these guys, this person is definitely no push over.'_ Nero parried the first four strikes, placing his leg in the fighter's personal area and throwing him off balance. Using the momentum in his hips, Nero turns with enough spin to use a thrusting palm strike that hit dead center against his chest. Nero's attack was successful. Sending wave energy through his opponent managed to throw the bald disciple off balance with great force nearly flying away. The others seeing this stopped and eyed Nero cautiously before the white haired teen maneuvered to the next set of people. Nero dashed in using his elbow to hit the one nearest in the mouth, quickly dashing and delivering another punch in the face. Nero then attacked the disciple's mid section and ended him with a spinning downward punch. The poor soul hit the ground hard and unconscious with only his voice squeaking in pain quickly. Without resting, Nero turned around to mow down the remaining people. Punching straight ahead a powerful force released from his fist as it hit the other three that were grouped together. They never expected this newcomer to be this powerful let alone take them all one at once. "W-what the heck is this guy?" One of the many bald men asked yet their question was unanswered as the powerful attack ripped all of their gai, knocking them back thirty feet, sliding to a stop. "Ugh" pain was coursing through all of their bodies as they rolled over to grab their freshly placed bruises. He was strong. Their master was right about this person. Even though it was meant to test his abilities, even they didn't expect Nero to be this powerful. Nero's display in martial arts was indeed impressive. And not even three seconds later he could hear the sound of someone clapping their hands as they approached him from behind.

"Not bad…not bad at all. You just might be even better than Tatsuya…Nero." An older bald man with a scar on his right eye said. Was he another one of these annoying guys? Just looking at him Nero could tell he was completely different from the others he just fought against.

"Who are you and how exactly do you know my name?" Nero asked with mild interest but was also on alert just in case.

"Oh I know a lot about you my boy. Even enough to know that you held back on using your…" he leaned over so only Nero could hear what he whispered next.

"Inhuman strength against them. Otherwise they would be dead in one hit, no?"

Now Nero was on full alert taking a chance to grab the man but he skillfully evaded the grab, back flipping away.

"Uh-uh-ahhhh. You know you can't be too aggressive on our first meeting, it shows bad character." The man taunted the white haired devil causing said boy to suck his teeth in annoyance.

"You're one to talk after trying to start a fight." The man laughed heartedly as Nero remembered what Dante said to him before leaving for his flight a few days ago.

_Flashback:_

_Nero there is no way you could miss this guy he can talk circles around just about anyone, trust me if he mocks you within the first 10 seconds you meet, it's without a doubt Y…."_

_Flashback End_

"Yakumo Kokonoe…" Nero said as the man before him smiled while his eyes were still closed.

"Bingo! I see that you've heard of me?" Yakumo said as he rubbed his peach fuzz under his chin gaining a blank look from Nero who thought that this person and Dante acted almost identical.

"You could say that. After all, I was told to come and meet you here since you know about this whole schooling situation." Nero said looking around at the scenery.

"Indeed I do…come let's chat inside. I have some other things to discuss with you as well." Yakumo said as they both made their way to the main part of the temple. Nero on the other hand wanted to know more about this guy. Why did Dante respect him so much?

* * *

Miyuki Shiba was now finishing up getting ready for the day and decided that maybe it was a good time for her and her brother to start heading out. However, there was still something that was bothering her. She let it go and thought nothing of it earlier but there was obviously something still bothering her brother Tatsuya. He was usually good at hiding his emotions from other people but she could tell when he was acting. Something made her brother feel uneasy and she wanted to ask about it without preying too much. It was kind of disheartening that Tatsuya always concealed certain things from her in hopes to keep her safe without Miyuki herself worrying about it.

"I can tell when something is wrong with brother…but why does he keep things from me?" She asked deep in thought even to the point where she almost ran into her own room door. She knew things were changing around her little by little, especially after the death of her now late mother. Miyuki wasn't sure what she should do. Her mother was her everything. She was as important to her as her brother Tatsuya is now. Everything she did until this point wasn't really done with the intention of Miyuki's own best interest. Being a part of the family she was, in the end seemed like more of a burden than a blessing. For that very reason, Miyuki wanted nothing more than to live an ordinary life for as long as she could. Free from responsibilities of the family name. Free of having everyone around her trying to control the decisions she made or live her life as if she was used by the family to replace her mother. She hated that thought and now more than ever Miyuki wanted to do things like normal people would her age and that included with her dear brother. Maybe in the process she could even make a few friends as well?

"I need to focus." Miyuki lightly slapped her cheeks in the attempt to stop her wondering thoughts.

"Kay, here it goes…" Miyuki made her way out of her room as she entered the living room finding her brother fully dressed and ready to leave as well.

"Onii-sama, you weren't waiting for me too long were you?" Miyuki hoped that she wasn't slowing him down. Miyuki was waiting for his reply but she only received silence as he again seemed in his own world. What really caught her off guard was his fierce gaze as he looked out the window.

"Onii-sama…Onii-sama!" Tatsuya was so into his own train of thought that he didn't realize he was spacing out and seemed to worry his dear sister even more.

"Oh Miyuki…I'm sorry, I just have so much on my mind as of late." Miyuki wasn't buying it fully. She could see the look on his face and knew instantly something was really bothering him.

"Onii-sama, I know when something's bothering you. So why must you hide your feelings from me? Let me help you." Miyuki said in a pleading manner causing Tatsuya to give his rare apologetic look her way.

"I'm sorry if I'm worrying you Miyuki but it's nothing to concern yourself with. I promise its fine. I'm probably just over thinking some things." He said rubbing Miyuki's head gently. His sister gave him an adorable pout in exchange. She always disliked when he wasn't honest with her about things like this.

"Anyway, it's time for us to head out." Tatsuya now heading for the door.

"Onii-sama, wait for me." Miyuki right behind him.

* * *

Both Nero and Yakumo were now sitting at a short Japanese table while Yakumo himself made tea and had some refreshments. Nero was just waiting to get out of here and get this over with. It was bad enough already that he had to be in a foreign land so far away from home in the first place.

"So I know you were told about why you're here am I right?" Yakumo asked while sipping his tea with that ever present smile on his face.

"Yeah, something about learning different things about magic at some big name school." Nero said still a little annoyed. Yakumo could feel the tension from the younger man…with good reason. He was probably blindsided by his uncle and convinced forcefully to come to Japan.

"Ah…yes, one of the many schools of magic, First High school to be correct. That school is for the rich and people who have a place in this world." Yakumo said causing Nero to snort in response before speaking.

"Then what the hell am I here for? I wish I had money like that but I don't. I make a living hunting demons not school time with some snobby nobles." this just earned a laugh from Yakumo. At least the boy could be humorous when he wanted to.

"Indeed but…" Yakumo gained a surprisingly serious gaze to the point that Nero thought he was sitting with another person entirely.

"That's not the only reason why you came to Japan Nero." What was that? Maybe Nero heard him wrong because he could have sworn he said that his only reason for being there wasn't the case. Hearing this caused the teen to sit up straight in confusion.

"Wait…what do you mean?"

"It's exactly as I said. There is another reason why you are here in Japan. And one of the reasons is to help stop a vicious demon that myself and Dante encountered in our youth." Yakumo now stood up and walked to the far side of the room grabbing an amulet off the desk near the window.

"This amulet is one of the keys to helping seal him away." he said tossing it to Nero who easily caught it.

"And who is this "**him**" you keep talking about?"

"Oh silly me, I forget to tell you his name…the once unimaginably powerful demon of hell, **IGNUS!**"

"**IGNUS?**" Nero never heard of him from Dante even once before.

"Yes…he was an extremely powerful foe. I and Dante both fought him off at the time but now he seems to be trying to come back to this plain of existence. Nero, we need to be ready when he does or millions of people will die."

"In fact, he was second to only Dante's very father Sparda. Even Mundus feared his power for it was too great."

"But that's not all. Ignus was once a kind hearted demon like Sparda who had compassion. Love however, is a dangerous thing you see. The bad blood between your grandfather and Ignus became thick because they both fell in love with the same woman. Only one could have her heart so one thing lead to another." Yakumo said taking another sip of his tea.

"So you mean…"

"Yes, Sparda was the one to win Eva's love and jealousy and bitterness grew ever true inside Ignus' heart. It was such a one-sided love. Eva never viewed Ignus the same way he viewed her. There was a realization about that fact that probably inflicted the most damage to his heart. Once a kind and understanding demon, he became foul and cold hearted…showing those around him no mercy. Sparda has already engaged and defeated him long before me and Dante had to reseal him but it seemed like his hatred kept him coming back for revenge time and time again."

"Dante knows this all too well. After all, the kin of Sparda have been hunted by many demon families for decades. Most failed but they continue to try ridding your blood from existence." Nero could only sit there in silence as he tried to process everything he was being told.

"Nero, I need you to promise me that you won't use your true power unless you have to. Only if you or someone's life is in danger should you act past your human capabilities Nero…understand?" Nero released a sigh but agreed by nodding his head. Whether it was a trigger or some type of switch that was flipped this caused Yakumo's mood to soften a bit.

"Now then, you need a place to stay right? Well…lucky for you, the higher ups are paying good money for you to be an exchange student so they gave me the information to everything you will need while you enjoy your stay. Remember Nero, we are your customers and you are being paid to fulfill a contract." He did have a point about that. Nero was being hired for an extremely high paying job…that only had the end of the human world at stake. Could this put any more pressure on him? He could sure use a little more of it.

"Oh, you need to be at the school to take the entrance exam in I don't know…thirty or so minutes. So if I were you I would um…hurry up." Nero gladly stood up as he made his was to leave.

"Nero, if you want to train here again just stop by. You might help this old man work up a sweat even." He mocked playfully only gaining an over head salute that his words were heard loud and clear.

"That boy might be **his** son but he definitely reminds me of you the most…Dante." The sound of sipping tea filled the room as Yakumo continued to sit in a comfortable silence.

* * *

The Shiba siblings were both currently split from one another as they each took their entrance exams in separate rooms. Tatsuya was currently showing his magical capabilities. From the looks of it one could assess he didn't do too well even though he could use it well in certain circumstances.

Miyuki on the other hand seem to fly threw her individual tests with little to no effort at all. It was only natural she would score extremely well on her magic activation sequences. Scoring a terrifying 'point twelfth' of a second put her far above just about anyone in her age range and easily in the top of her class.

Nero on the other hand did well on certain written areas of the examination tests since he only knew certain things about different types of magic. However, that was not the problem at that particular point in time. The problem really was that Nero couldn't or would not use any magical spells at all.

"We'll Nero, it seems you have no magic abilities whatsoever…" This person was the one Dante mentioned about owning him a **favor**. The male had brown hair and brown eyes. He was shorter than Nero by at least six inches and he was obviously Japanese. The man's name was Yorichi Takeda.

"I will have to file this unfortunately…but don't worry too much about that since even people with low to no magic levels still attend this school. This school is mostly teaching them how magic works anyway. Plus, First High is a school more worried about its income than if someone knows how to use magic fully."

"My magic reserves are just really low compared to other people I guess." Nero was clearly lying through his teeth and Takeda knew he was. Especially since he also knew Dante was his uncle.

"Yes, well it sure seems that way. Anyway, that also seems to be it for your tests. We will be sure to contact you immediately once your results are reviewed."

"Yea, I got it."

"The results should be ready by sometime early next week so please keep yourself assessable." Takeda said still writing on his clipboard.

"Yea whatever, I guess I'll see you around…" Nero made his way to the door behind him. He was just glad that was over and done with. A week felt like such a drag though.

* * *

Sometime later, Miyuki and Tatsuya finally met up again after completing both of their entrance exams.

"Onii-sama!" Miyuki walked up to her brother with a beautiful and confident smile.

"Miyuki…from the look on your face I suppose you did substantially?" Tatsuya asked with a small smile of his own. His sister nodded her head in delight just thinking about it.

"Yes Onii-sama, I made sure I completed all of my tests without fail. I'm sure you also passed as soundly as I did Onii-sama?" Miyuki asked causing her brother to place his hand gently on her shoulder.

"Of course Miyuki, remember I promised that you and I would both be attending this school together and live normal lives for as long as we could." Tatsuya's soothing words seemed to make his sister's bright smile shine brighter. Miyuki was so glad that she had an older brother like Tatsuya. With him around she felt that just about anything was possible.

Suddenly, the Shiba siblings each felt it was almost time that they headed back home. That was until something in the corner of Miyuki's vision caught her attention. She turned her eyes which landed on the back of a male who was at least ten inches taller than her brother. And from the look of his aesthetic build, he was almost a size and a half bigger than Tatsuya in that department as well.

But what caught her interest the most about this person was his silky white hair. Never before has Miyuki Shiba ever witnessed such snow white hair in all her life. To her it almost appeared to glimmer as the light bounced off of it. She could not view the boy's facial appearance since as his back was to her but something almost told her he would be quite handsome.

The male made his way out the door as he silently disappeared from her vision completely. There was a feeling that the Shiba sister could not place about him but she could not help but wonder about whom that could have been.

"Who was that person?" Miyuki asked aloud slightly curious but it seemed she was not the only one who wondered that question. Her brother Tatsuya had a more calculating look on his features as he watched Nero leave out of the building. Maybe Tatsuya could sense something that his sister could not?

"That guy…"

* * *

On Nero's adventure back home, he made sure to inspect his surroundings. After all, this would be the areas he would spend a good amount of time around now. It seemed like it was too good to be true. Nothing was out of the ordinary, nor did he feel any demon presences around either. Compared to back home, you might as well call this an unwanted paradise.

"S-stop!" maybe he spoke too soon? Nero heard it not too far away from him. Seemed like people harassing someone about something yet everyone else around seemed oblivious to that fact. Sighing to himself, Nero knew he currently had nothing else to do. Finding his way over to the end of the building near the crosswalk, he spots a group of males surrounding what looked to be female students from another school.

"Well, well, well. Look at these pretty girls, boys…" One male said with a lip piercing and ear gauges.

"I want the one with the nice maroon hair, she smells so good." another said as he sniffed the girl's hair who looked terrified.

"Please let us go! D-don't do this!" One of the scared girls pleaded to the thugs who looked at each other before laughing loudly.

"Ha-ha! Like hell we'd turn down a nice piece of a…" but unfortunately for him, he was backhanded hard enough to black out.

"Sorry about that. I guess this is where you ask me if I know what I just got myself into and then attack me for interrupting something?" Nero asked lazily as everyone's attention was now on him. The girls looked shocked to see someone there to actually come and rescue them.

"You damn pretty boy! Who the hell do you think you are, huh?" One angrily asked before taking his iron pipe and swinging at Nero's head. Nero of course skillfully caught it while looking at it in mock interest.

"Wow…you still carry one of these around? It's like 2095 man…are you serious?" Bending it like a pretzel with ease around the thugs arms.

"My arms! What the hell? How did you do…" a boot quickly collided to his face making him shut up while the other male thug seemed to gulp loudly. He just knew he was about to get it too.

"Wait! C-cant we talk about this?" the thug begged.

"No." Nero slowly stalked up to the terrified thug.

"Hold on….hold on…w-wait…EEH-EEHHHHAAA!"

Nero dusted off his hands from a good days work, turning to the girls to help them off the ground. He could see the look on their faces…they were terrified. Could you necessarily blame them? They just experienced some form of sexual assault and he knew they had to be quite shaken up from the ordeal. Nero knew he had to at least comport them to make them feel that they were now safe.

"Hey, It's alright. I promise I won't hurt any of you. Those guys won't be bothering you ever again." This surprisingly gained him a flying hug from the girls as they seemed to be beyond relieved someone saved their purity.

"Thank you-Thank you-Thank you so much!"

"No problem…really its fine." After the released their embrace on him, Nero gave each girl a look over.

"Next time you all need to be more careful around here ok? I know I said that these guys won't bother you again but if they do, I'll just find a way to get to you no matter where I am." Nero gave them a small smile that made blushes spread across each of their faces. Nero turned to make his way home as he waved to them over his shoulder.

"W-wait! C-could you at least give us your name?" one of the girls asked pleadingly. Nero stopped and gave it a thought. How did he forget to mention his name to them? It must have slipped his mind.

"It's Nero, Nero Angelo." Little did Nero know but he just gained his first group of female admirers that day.

* * *

A week flew by in the blink of an eye as Nero received his school uniform and was on his way out his front door, getting ready for his first day at First High. Little did our White haired demon know his uniform was indeed a little different? Nero decided against wearing a dress shirt underneath his school jacket/trench so he had it open with a black t-shirt underneath. Nero did not realize the colors on his uniform were different compared to the course one and two students. The white, green and, black color pallet was changed from the normal male student attire. His was black in the areas that white would usually be and green in areas the black trimming normally was.

Nero's class jacket also stopped just past his waist and there was no back trench style like the normal white male uniforms had. His cuff links had the symbol of a plant stem as he rolled his up to his elbows like normal and placed his stem pin inside his jackets lower pocket. Nero also wore the male students black pants with black school shoes to finish his wardrobe.

As he made his way toward the school, he noticed there were people around the schools front entrance who seemed to be putting up signs and ordainments alike. To be honest, this actually looked so normal. Well, that is until his attention was occupied by a sudden outburst.

"**I CANNOT ACCEPT THIS!" **Now focusing on the pair that caused the commotion he noticed a dark blue haired Japanese girl who had blue eyes and looked to be upset about something. It wasn't hard to tell that whatever was bothering the girl didn't sit too well with her.

In addition, Nero carefully inspected her school uniform and thought it was actually quite appealing. It was a nice silk white dress under a short green blazer that seemed to be connected to a see through nightgown. While the person she was standing in front of was a male that had black hair and blue eyes.

"**ONII-SAMA! WHY ARE YOU A RESERVE…DIDN'T YOU TOP THE ENTRANCE EXAMS!?" **Miyuki yelled making a scene.

"Miyuki, you're still going on about that?" Tatsuya said not really wanting to go through this. The students that were standing around were conversing amongst each other.

"What's that? Are they fighting?"

"Aren't they freshman?" Nero was looking on with mild interest. This was probably the liveliest thing to happen are there since he arrived at the school.

"**THE FREASHMAN REPRESENTATIVE SHOULD NOT BE ME...BUT YOU, ONII-SAMA!"**

"This is a magic high school. It's obvious they would place more emphasis on practical ability than paper tests, and with my practical ability it's surprising that I even made it as a course 2 student." Tatsuya stated only causing his sister to go on about her disagreement.

"**ONII-SAMA, I SAY! THERE IS NO ONE WHO IS A MATCH FOR YOU IN STUDIES AND TAIJUTSU! SINCE THE TRUTH IS EVEN FOR MAGIC…."**

"**MIYUKI!"** Tatsuya suddenly yelled startling the girl a bit.

"Even if you say that out load, it can't be helped… you understand that right?" Tatsuya didn't want to be so harsh to his younger sister but it goes without saying that he had a good reason for saying those things. In the school of First High you were branded by your status and ability. Discrimination was something that would follow people no matter where they go and this place was no acceptation.

"I…apologize." Miyuki was feeling a bit guilty about this whole situation and for having her brother go through this in the first place. She just couldn't understand any of this. Why wasn't her brother selected to represent all the first year students instead of her? He was the best of the best in anything he did when it came to combat and magic. It just wasn't right!

The gentle hand of her brother suddenly touches her head softly. "Seeing you getting so angry in my place…it makes me happy. I'm always saved by that." Tatsuya said not knowing the impact his words were having on his beloved sister.

"Lair…" she said almost in a whisper.

"Onii-sama is always scolding me…"

"I'm not lying, Just like how you feel about me…I also feel the same about you." these words caused the young beauty to raise her gaze to meet her brothers as he blush increased.

Nero raised his brow at this "Ok, now correct me if I'm wrong… but is he not her brother? So what's with this awkward atmosphere all of a sudden?"

"O-onii-sama, no way! To tell me so suddenly how you feel about me…" her whole demeanor changed completely. It was a one hundred and eighty degree turn in her character, almost as if the calm words of her brother put out an inextinguishable flame.

"_She seems to have misunderstood the meaning behind what I said but I'll just leave it at that for now"_

"Miyuki." Tatsuya spoke out regaining her attention.

"Even if you did back out on giving your reply address…there is no way I would be the next person to be selected as a replacement. It would just affect your appraisal and with your intelligence, I'm sure you know what that would mean."

"Well…about that…" Miyuki began but Tatsuya continued.

"And besides Miyuki…I'm looking forward to it. So show this useless big brother of yours the glorious moment of his cute little sister." this again caused said girls temperature to increase.

"O-onii-sama is not a useless big brother! B-but I understand, please forgive me for being willful."

"Go on, it's almost time for the meeting before the reply address right?"

"Yes. I'll be taking my leave then. Please be sure to watch me onii-sama." Miyuki said waving and giving her farewells to her brother as she made her way toward the school building.

"Alright" Tatsuya thought about walking around for a bit more to see the rest of the school's additions.

As the girl left so did the crowd and Nero who felt this was too much to watch had walked off a little before Miyuki and Tatsuya went their separate ways.

"This school is just full of weirdoes isn't it?" Nero wasn't really into large crowds so he made it his mission to get away from there as quickly as his legs would take him. As he walked with one of his hands in his pocket, there was a group of female Bloom students straight ahead and heading towards him. Upon closing their distance from him they noticed a white haired handsome prince with beautiful blue eyes. Truth be told, they could not help the blush that appeared on their faces while their vision locked onto him.

"H-he's so handsome…" one of the girls said aloud. However, there was also something else they noticed about Nero that caught their eyes.

"But look at his uniform…"

"Yeah, but how can someone so good looking not be a Bloom? You would think he was some type of royalty!"

"I know…but isn't that the color for **Stem **student uniforms**?"**

"You're right, he's a Stem student. Aren't those supposed to be the worst of the worst in the schools rankings?"

"But he's so hot! Yet at the same time, there's no way my parents would ever let me date him if they knew he was a Stem student…" One whined to herself almost depressed about the fact.

"W-well, maybe we shouldn't talk to him then? Wouldn't other Stems think its ok to hang out with us if we do?" Another girl asked as they all then tried to hastily move past Nero. Nero didn't really care in the slightest, if anything it was fewer headaches for him to deal with. This school seemed so focused on status more than anything else and things that stupid and shallow didn't really matter to him. He could tell that his time here would be the best time of his life. The beauty of sarcasm…

"A Stem huh?" Now it made sense why his pin was in the shape of a plant stem but he soon brushed off the thought and continued to walk toward the main building.

Tatsuya had free time until his sister's big speech so he wanted to walk around and make sure he knew every part of this campus. He was always overly careful so this was just something that he would eventually do sooner or later. His and Miyuki's safety was his top priority and he didn't care how he did it as long as it was done. He was so into his own thoughts that he didn't realize he was approaching a group of students. He could see that some of their faces had blushes on them as if they had been recently flustered in some way. Unfortunately, Tatsuya just became the next target of their attention.

"I wonder why that **Weed **is out here all by himself?"

"Yea but he seems really enthusiastic even though he's just a reserve doesn't he?" Tatsuya hearing this just smiled to himself. "_An eight-pedaled flower is present on the left chest of a course 1 student…also know as a __**Bloom. **__Since the emblem on my jacket is absent it clarifies that of a course 2 student known as a __**Weed.**__If the entire course 1 student's meet the schools standard quota and are successfully able to pass then the course 2 student's like myself end up being completely unnecessary."_

"_Then there are the students who are below even us Weeds…the __**Stems. **__They have little to almost zero magic capability. Truthfully, the only reason the school has bothered to make that branch is because the families usually paying for their children's education is helping to fund this school while also learning about magic._" Tatsuya decided to put those thoughts aside for the time being as he comes across a spare bench that he decides to sit down on. Even though he didn't want to think about such trivial things he couldn't help but recall the events that happened throughout the week. Apart of those thoughts was him remembering Nero from the other day.

"_That guy…something was definitely different about him. I could swear I even felt his presence when I was talking with Miyuki not too long ago_." Tatsuya didn't quite understand it himself but there was warning bells about Nero that he just couldn't describe perfectly. No matter, if he was to be a threat to himself or his younger sister Tatsuya would make sure to get rid of him quickly.

"I will have to look deeper into this person just to be on the safe side."

Nero was almost near the steps of the main building before he spotted a short petite girl with long black hair and red eyes who seemed to also be a Bloom student like the girls he saw before. She currently looked to be searching for someone. Nero personally didn't want to engage in conversation so closed his eyes while he made his way toward the building. Well that was until she noticed him. Who wouldn't? Nero was a very tall individual so spotting him would be like finding a weed sticking out of freshly cut grass. "Oh, why hello you seem to be…" but she paused as she viewed his outfit and noticed right away he was a Stem.

"Sorry, where are my manners? My name is Mayumi Saegusa and yo…" but the cheerful Mayumi finally noticed Nero's appearance. She took in his foreign features and couldn't quite help the blush creeping onto her face. His silky white hair…and those ocean blue eyes made her doubt her next words. This was strange to her though. Mayumi wasn't one to get self conscious about stuff like this but here this male student made himself seem almost unapproachable. Nero surprisingly continued to steadily walk past her. It's not her fault. He was just still feeling a bit upset about being there in Japan in the first place. And he wasn't that much of a "people person" to begin with. Maybe it was a small case of Home Sickness?

Quiet silence was all she received as the handsome white haired boy completely ignored her. That act in itself was obviously very rude but it wasn't done purposely…or was it? Mayumi's beautiful face formed a frown as she looked at Nero's retreating form. Her being displeased with his rude behavior was an understatement yet she couldn't understand the strange feeling she had within her stomach.

"Excuse me, but you are being extremely rude!" The black haired girl implied causing Nero to do wave over his shoulder.

"You'll forgive me won't you?" He asked jokingly but this caused Mayumi to frown at his words. But what was this feeling?

"A Stem is he? How rude."

'_Something tells me this won't be the last time we meet each other.' _Mayumi stared at his retreating back. In a way something within her hoped that she would.

As Nero made it into the main building, he was looking around, taking in his surroundings, trying to get a feel for the school. Ok this was really starting to get old now. Nero tried his best to ignore whoever it was but now it was just started to bother him.

"What do you want?" Nero asked causing the person behind him to jolt a bit in surprise.

"Oh, so I was right after all. You are a foreigner!" The female sounding voice said almost please with their accurate guess. Nero turned his vision to find a short petite red headed girl that was wearing a fairly decent size smile across her features while walking in sync with the white haired devil. Based off of her attire alone she looked to be in the Weed student uniform if Nero was correct.

"Hello there, my names Erika Chiba. It's nice to meet you!" This girl Erika…she had way too much energy. Nero gave her a raised brow from her over the top bubbly attitude. She was awfully energetic…

"Nero…Nero Angelo." Nero introduced gaining a nod of approval from the girl.

"Say Nero, where are you from anyway?" Erika asked the boy as she leaned over while looking at him from the side in wonder.

"North America."

"North America? No way!" The girl said incredulously. But then she looked at the boy up and down with calculating eyes that looked to be trying to processes his physical measurements.

"But seriously Nero-san, what in the world are they feeding you people over there in America?" Erika admired Nero's build. He was easily over her without much effort and she could tell that he was in excellent physical shape. He had to be in sports or some type of martial arts with a physic like that.

"I don't know. What do they feed you girls here in Japan?" Nero asked looking mainly at her chest from a side glance. Erika not missing it had the decency to blush heavily before turning away to cover herself.

"W-wait Angelo-san! That was one extremely bold claim you said there…" Erika stated now catching back up to him while looking at him from the side once more. She could not deny that he was ridiculously good looking. In fact, he was almost like a character out of those fairy tales she used to read as a kid.

"You asked first didn't you?" Nero asked with raised brow. Unbelievable, he had no filter did he? Erika's cute pout spread across her face thanks to his teasing. She was usually the one doing the teasing but being on the receiving end of it could be a different story altogether.

"Nero, you are such a jerk."

"I get that a lot." A small smile appeared on Erika's face from his reply. She could see why that was the case if it was true. Her eyes suddenly averted downward, landing on Nero's school apparel.

"Now that I think about it, I see that you wear the Stem student's attire. Did any of the Blooms give you a hard time yet?" She asked as he kept his gaze ahead.

"Wasn't paying attention." was all she heard making her think she needed to approach him differently. He seemed like he was a loner type but she wanted to get to know him a bit better. Maybe he didn't really associate himself with other people?

"Say Nero?"

"What?"

"I don't blame you if you don't want to be here either. I'm the same way a little. I wanted to come here hoping to better myself but ended up getting a bit lower than what I first sought out to do. Sure, it lowered my resolve a bit but I still intend to push on with my head held high." Nero quietly listened to Erika. The girl did have a point though. It's about holding your head up and moving forward regardless of what other people thought about you.

"So, I guess what I'm trying to say is…you don't have to act so distant. I might not be a Stem like you are but I do know what it's like to feel like you are not good enough."

"What are you talking about?" Nero suddenly asked Erika making her turn her head to him again.

"Blooms, Weeds, Stems…who really cares about something like that? I'm not you so I personally don't know why you feel so beat up about it in the first place. Is this not an opportunity for you? If you were the best of the best, wouldn't you just think less about improving yourself in general? The groups of countless people who are viewed to be beneath others better than themselves have to work much harder than those with overall natural talent. Who knows, maybe in the process even they could probably surpass those who claim or seem to be superior in comparison. Is something like that really ok with you? If you were already at the top in everything you did, could you really say that you would be ok with living your life like that?" Nero paused for a brief moment before continuing his thoughts.

"Who would be able to stand before you if you were already the best of the best? What would your own motivation to better yourself be afterwards? All you would do is make all the underdogs around here more motivated to surpass you instead. Becoming their goal to defeat but in exchange, you yourself would have no means or resolve to continue to grow stronger unless only to keep your image intact. Having such a lame reason as that would be more of a burden than anything else. Right now, you are the best you can be because you have a goal that you've yet to achieve and because of that…you hunger for it. In the end maybe you're much better off the way you are now." Nero said lazily as Erika could not help but feel there was great truth to his words. To her, Nero spoke as if it was something on a personal level for him. He wasn't lying. Even as much as an idiot his uncle was he respected that man. He was so powerful and felt so far from him that he would try to chase after him like an impossible star in the sky that he could never grasp within his hand. Nero knew what it was like to want power. Without it you can never protect anything precious to you.

"Look at you Nero-san. You sure have a way with words…surprisingly." Erika stated sarcastically but did not hear him rely back to her playful jab. She could only give him a small smile. He wasn't so bad behind that tough guy demeanor he had.

Erika was quietly thinking to herself but suddenly stopped in place as her face clearly showed obvious concern. How in the world could she forget something so important? Her talk with Nero made her forget about meeting up with her friend that was most likely waiting for her. Erika had to mentally kick herself for being so absent minded.

"I'm such an idiot! Sorry Nero-san, I forgot to meet up with a friend of mine so I guess we will have to cut this a bit short. Our little chat made me forget for a second so I feel a bit bad." Erika said as she closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Then go." Nero said looking back at the red headed girl who only smiled brightly at him.

"Hopefully we can meet again soon ok…Prince-san." Erika said as she winked happily, jogging away and laughing at the nickname she gave him. She knew that she was going to enjoy this place even more now.

"Thanks again…Nero."

"W-what!? Hey Erika! Tch…" Nero called out to her but she kept going. He wanted to address his displeasure about that nickname but she ignored him completely.

"That girl..."

* * *

Tatsuya was still seated on the bench when his pager alarm went off telling him he had at least fifteen minutes left before Miyuki's speech started.

"Looks like it's time to go now." getting up, he suddenly could feel someone else's presence near him, turning to looking in said persons direction.

"Are you a freshman? It's better to head over to the venue soon or you might be late." the feminine voice said.

"Excuse me, I will be on my way immediately." Tatsuya said gaining a smile from the girl.

"At least someone has proper manners…unlike someone." she said thinking of our white haired devil.

Tatsuya now looking up spotting her C.A.D (Casting Assistant Device)

"Ah, I haven't properly introduced myself yet, pardon me." now taking a better look at the female, she was short with long black hair and red eyes. It was the same girl who encountered Nero from earlier.

"I'm the student council president of the first high school, Mayumi Saegusa."

"_Seven huh, seems she is one to be a successor to her family._" Tatsuya thought before introducing himself

"My name is Shiba Tatsuya."

"**AH!** You are** that **Shiba-kun**!?" **Mayumi asked aloud.

"An average of ninety-six marks over the seven exams subjects. Especially Magic theory and Magic Engineering, which have an average passing mark of sixty among the examinees…you actually got a perfect grade for them...your that Tatsuya Shiba-kun right?!"

"Those were just paper results, we all know that this is a magical school and that's what matters the most."

"Nope, at least I know I wouldn't be able to get that high of a grade if I did the same assignment. Shiba-san, you're awesome." she praised but for some reason he felt weird. He wasn't use to this type of attention even though he did not care much in regards to the opinions of others.

"Please excuse me. It's seems to be time for me to leave after all. I mustn't be late…President Saegusa." And with a polite bow Tatsuya made his way to the venue while leaving an extremely curious Mayumi behind. She could tell that something was unique about Tatsuya. You could say it was a gut feeling and usually her gut was never wrong. For now she will leave that thought for another time and head towards the venue and prepare for the opening ceremony.

"These new students are certainly something."

* * *

Nero found a nice spot where no one was sitting all the way in the back of the venue. He was deep in thought as he scanned the area. He could see the Blooms, Weeds, and Stems were all divided within the room. He gained unwanted attention from female students who were talking about his good looks and his cool attitude. For now he was just trying his best to ignore their voices the best that he could.

"So there are white and green jackets with the flower emblem. Others with no emblem and then people like me with only black and green…" Nero looked at all the students around the room in wonder. Stems seemed to have a small portion of the room while Blooms and Weeds had the majority of the venue. He realized the female stem uniforms were quite similar to the normal course 2 students but the normal green color was black and the black trimming was green.

Nero was currently sitting with his arms resting on the seats next to him while his right leg was on top of his left in a "figure four" position as he closed his eyes with a bored expression.

"Umm…excuse me. I-is that seat next to you taken?" Nero heard a soft, timid voice speak to him as he opened his eyes. The white haired devil looked over to see that he was greeted by a very pretty shorthaired blonde girl with green eyes and a surprisingly big chest. She was wearing the black and green version of the girl's uniform like all the other female Stem students were so it was fairly obvious where she belonged.

"No, you can sit here if you want." Nero said but she was a bit hesitant at first. Nero didn't remove his arm from its resting place so if she were to sit down, it would look as if he was putting his arm around her. This thought caused the girl to blush massively as Nero only gave her a side glance noticing her flustered state.

"Are you ok?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine." the girl said quickly earning a raised eyebrow from him. The more she thought about it the more embarrassed she became. This won't do, Shiemi knew she needed to change the subject before she messes something up again thanks to her nervous tendencies. Maybe she should try introducing herself?

"M-my name is Shiemi Moriyama…its nice meeting you." Shiemi said shyly bowing her head slightly. Nero couldn't help but feel it was only right to at least introduce himself as well. "Nero Angelo…and it's nice to meet you too, Shiemi was it?" those words seemed to brighten the girl's mood tenfold.

"Nice to meet you Angelo-san." Shiemi greeted back kindly.

"Just Nero is fine." Wait…hearing Nero say that to her made the girl look incredulously at him. Was it really ok for her to use his first name so casually?

"U-um…are you sure that's ok?" She did just meet him after all so it felt kind of disrespectful yet pleasant at the same time.

"Its fine, I don't mind." He was willing to allow her to call him by his first name already? Maybe this was a sign that she has been looking for? This was her chance to finally break free of her burden of being lonely all the time. The realization strongly on her mind, Shiemi shyly played with her pointer fingers. She has always been bad at things like this. Ever since she was a little girl, Shiemi was terrible at making friends. All she ever wanted was to have people in her life that she could laugh, play and talk with but it seemed like such an impossible dream for her. She was always getting overly nervous or clumsily messing things up for herself and she didn't know how to talk or approach others like normal people did. It didn't help her case that she was socially awkward thanks to the many years of solitude she experienced while growing up. Maybe just this once she could find the courage to make a friend…her very first friend. Shiemi was feeling a bit more pressure about the whole ordeal given the fact that Nero was such a good looking individual. Heck, because of these challenges presented in front of her, she felt that if she could befriend someone like Nero, then she could befriend just about anybody. Her first step started now!

"Um…Nero-san?"

"Yeah?"

"I-I know this it's weird asking someone like this that I j-just met but…will you be willing to be my friend?" Shiemi asked him almost too innocently. Well, it was a pretty different approach than what he was used to but he couldn't help but feel bad for her. Just looking at the blonde girl he could tell she seemed so…lonely. But even then, becoming friends with someone like him? Maybe it wasn't such a good idea.

Nero stared at the girl, almost like he was contemplating in his head the right thing to say. She was watching him as he stared intently in her eyes. Waiting for his answer made it feel like a lifetime under that powerful gaze of his. Nero let a sigh escape his lips, looking away from the Shiemi while closing his eyes.

"Shiemi, to be honest with you, I don't think you would want to be friends with someone like me. You are probably better off asking someone else."

"No." Shiemi spoke with the shake of her head as she looked at him with a soft smile.

"Even though Nero-san doesn't think so I can just tell you're a good person, I can feel it." Shiemi's words made Nero look back at her, slight confusion present on his face. "What exactly did she mean by that?" Nero pondered. But the look on her face said everything to him. She was serious about what she said. That gleam in her eyes was clear as day for even someone like him to see. Nero closed his eyes once again and slowly rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Fine. If that's what you really want…then I'll be your friend. But Shiemi, I can't promise you that I'll be a good one."

"Really Nero-san, really?! Don't you worry; we'll be the best of friends, you'll see!" the girl's early display of nervousness was quickly replaced with that of pure happiness. Nero didn't realize it himself but a small smirk appeared on his face in defeat. Her beaming smile; how could he ever destroy something like that? He could only hope that he made the right decision. Living the life that he did, he didn't want to get too attached to anyone around there. Yet, even though he knew that crucial reason, he just couldn't bring himself to say no to this girl.

* * *

On the other side of the venue it seemed as if Tatsuya was experiencing something similar. "Excuse me, sorry to bother you but is it ok if I sit here?" A girl with short black hair and glasses asked him who also seemed to be developed in other areas of her body. Said girl seemed to be wearing the normal course two girl's uniform.

"Please, help yourself…" Tatsuya made more room for the girl to sit next to him before the girl was jumped from behind by someone else.

"It's great that we can sit next to each other right?!" said an overly hyper short redheaded girl. It was Erika Chiba. Tatsuya wasn't very talkative unless he was necessarily addressed in conversation but even then he could tell that the red headed girl was in a league of her own.

'_What's with them?' _Tatsuya thought to himself finding them rather strange.

"Thank you again. My name is Shibata Mizuki. Nice to meet you." said the glasses wearing girl kindly.

"I'm Tatsuya Shiba. It's nice to meet you too Shibata-san." Tatsuya said while inspecting the girl's glasses. It was rare to see glasses of that prescription on anyone this day in age so it did definitely caught Tatsuya's attention.

"And my name is Erika Chiba, nice to meet you Shiba-kun!" Erika now introduced herself to Tatsuya before a thought popped into her mind.

"It's a pleasure Chiba-san."

"Hmm…Shiba, Shibata and Chiba. Now that I think about it our names kind of rhyme don't they?" Erika asked aloud gaining a look of understanding from Mizuki.

'_Another one from the numbers?'_ Tatsuya thought as he looked at Erika who seemed to be talking with Mizuki until said girl scanned the room as her eyes landed on the Stem section of the venue.

"AH! Look Mizuki-chan! Look over there! There's Nero, the guy I was telling you about!" Erika said as she pointed to the white haired teen also gaining Tatsuya's attention. Erika wasn't paying much attention to it before but now that she got a good look at the situation she could swear she saw Nero who seemed to be engaged in light conversation with a blonde female. Not only that, but the girl who he was currently talking to seemed to be well endowed in the most important areas. Erika looked down at herself before looking back at them with a frown.

"Just who is that girl anyway?" Erika didn't even realize that she asked her question out loud. Strange…for some reason she felt intimidated.

Tatsuya on the other hand, was watching Nero without taking his eyes off him. _'Erika seems to know the boy from somewhere so it might be best to gather information from her.'_

"Erika, you said that you two know each other?" This received a nod in return.

"Just a bit I suppose. Get this; his name is Nero Angelo…a mysterious foreigner from the USNA. He did seem to be a bit rough around the edges at first but once I was able to talk to the guy, he wasn't so bad. In fact I kind of like him." She said as her friend Mizuki on the other hand was frozen in a stasis. Mizuki continued to stare in Nero's direction with an increasing blush on her features as her Erika raised her brow at the girl. Erika didn't know if her friend was alright or not so she took her hand and started to wave it in front of her friend's face to snap the girl out of it.

"Hellooo…Mizuki-chan~? Yoohooooo…" Well that was strange. Erika followed her friend's line of sight back to Nero then back to her friend again. So it would seem that she has been captivated by a certain someone's charm.

"So you have been struck by his beauty I see?" Erika teased, as she too could not help but think the same thing about the white haired male. After all, Nero was in a class of his own when it came to his looks. Actually, how could any guy look that good?

"But I wonder who that girl is with him?" Erika asked as she bit down on her thumbnail unconsciously. Tatsuya was in his own world thinking about whom this person was that makes him feel so uneasy. He would have to go home after school and look more into this person like he intended from earlier.

"_Nero Angelo…"_

"**SILENCE!**" They then heard someone yell knocking them out of their stupor.

"**Right know the affiliate of the university of First High School's, School entrance ceremony shall begin. And next, reply address from the representative of the freshman's Miyuki Shiba!" **

As if on cue, Miyuki comes out onto the stage for all the students to see. She was already getting admirers from what Nero could hear.

"Whoa do you see how pretty she is? A-and she looks so innocent too." some said aloud.

"She looks like a model from those famous magazines." others stated.

"**On this good day, I thank you for your words of welcome. I representing the freshmen, am proud to be a member of First High School."** Nero listening in while Tatsuya was looking toward his sibling.

"**We shall study hard together! And not just limited to magic, we swear to grow together in all school activities." **Nero and Tatsuya had different reactions to these words. Nero could only give a small sigh since he knew what she just said is way easier said than done. Tatsuya on the other hand was slightly panicking. Just what the heck was his sister thinking?

'_Miyuki! What kind of dangerous phrases are you using?_' his gaze moved around the room to see everyone deeply affected by his sister's charm. She for as long as he could remember always was able to sway people with her presence. It was nothing short of a gift that the Shiba sister possessed. Having people around her see the girl as something beyond normal or even so much as to idolize, makes Tatsuya feel his sister was born with an extremely rare gift.

"So lovely…"

"Miyuki Shiba-sannnn~" others said in a complete daze practically slobbering from their mouths.

"Looks like my worries were meaningless after all…" Maybe he was just overreacting?

* * *

Sometime later after Miyuki's speech, students were outside talking to each other.

"I'm in class 2E what about you guys?" Erika asked Tatsuya and Mizuki excitedly.

"I'm class 2E." Mizuki said.

"I'm also in class 2E." Tatsuya stated with little interest. It seemed a bit coincidental that the people he ended up seated next to at the venue are the same people that he will be attending his classes with. Almost makes him feel like someone was behind all of this mess.

"Alight! That means that we'll be classmates! So let's go and take a peek at our home room you guys!" Erika said to the others but Tatsuya himself had other plans.

"Sorry, but I promised to meet up with my little sister so you two will have to go without me."

"Your little sister?"

"You don't mean…she's the freshman representative Miyuki Shiba do you?" Mizuki asked a little shocked.

"Are you two twins?" Erika asked with a raised brow.

"No I was born in April while she was born in March. More importantly, how could you tell Shibata-san? I mean…me and Miyuki don't necessarily look similar to each other in the slightest so how did you notice?" Tatsuya implied, making the glasses wearing girl quite nervous thanks to the look he was currently giving her. Maybe he wasn't aware that he was glaring a hole through her?

"Ohh, it's nothing really. It's just, I guess you two have the same aura if that makes any sense?" This put Tatsuya on full alert as his gaze became fiercer. So she had such an ability all along

"Your eyes are really good Mizuki-san." Tatsuya said as his voice was cold as ice. Erika gave them both a look of confusion as she looked back and forth between them. It was clearly obvious that the redheaded girl was not understanding what he meant by what he had said pointed out the flaw in his words.

"But she's wearing glasses…"

"That's not what I meant Chiba-san. Those glasses have no proper degree right? Your eyes can see spirit particles meaning they are a pretty special case am I right, Mizuki-san?"

'_It'll be dangerous if she continues to look at me…she might find out my secret._' Tatsuya said as his features only seemed to darken further. Thankfully or should we say for Mizuki's sake, not too long afterward he was knocked out of his thoughts by the sound of a familiar voice calling out to him.

"Sama…Onii-sama!" Tatsuya turned to see his sister approaching his group happily. Mizuki released a sigh she didn't even realize she was holding until that point. The glasses girl couldn't help but think that at that moment not too long ago, Tatsuya was scaring her. An indescribable feeling in her chest, a knot in her throat and those sharp eyes of his, they all made her a bit scared.

"Sorry for making you wait. I hope you weren't waiting too long?" She asked her brother Tatsuya. Tatsuya noticed that there was a girl that was walking behind his sister as he focused on the approaching face. As she came closer to his group he noticed that it was the same black haired, red eyed female that he ran into earlier. If he remembered correctly she said that her name was Mayumi.

'_Why is she here with Miyuki_?'

"Onii-sama, who are these people with you?" Miyuki suddenly asked as she looked at both Erika and Mizuki with slight displeasure. If Miyuki knew better it was almost as if her brother was going behind her back and doing funny business with these two girls!

"Oh, forgive me rudeness. These are my classmates, Mizuki Shibata and Erika Chiba." now introducing his new acquaintances.

"I see brother but aren't you a bit quick to go on a date with your classmates?" She said with a fake forced smile.

"You know that's not the case Miyuki, and don't you think you're being rude to the two of them?" Tatsuya did have a point. His words made Miyuki rethink her actions carefully. The last thing Miyuki wanted to do was upset her brother in any way so the only logical thing to do was apologize. She couldn't help her possessive nature that she had for her beloved older brother. It was just the way she has always been ever since she was a young girl.

"I beg your pardon Shibata-san, Chiba-san. I am Miyuki Shiba and also Tatsuya's younger sister. It is nice to meet the two of you and I'm sorry about my behavior."

"Nice to meet you/you as well." Both Mizuki and Erika greeted. Erika of course was a bit amused by the whole display but she also wondered what was going on with the young female Shiba. There was something about the way she acted that was a bit strange to her.

As the girls talked quietly amongst each other, Tatsuya moved is vision to inspect Mayumi as she stood not too far behind with a smile on her face. Moving his gaze slightly to the side Tatsuya also noticed a male student behind her that looked quite annoyed. He must have been some form of assistant?

"Miyuki, don't you still have business with the student council?" Tatsuya asked his sister. Miyuki had also forgotten about her duties thanks to her recent conversation with her brother's new classmates Erika and Mizuki. How could she be so absentminded?

"It's fine, I just came over to say hello for today. She is all yours." Mayumi said happily causing the male student next to her to be shocked and confused.

"But Madam Preside.." But before he could finish his words Mayumi raised her hand to stop him. She didn't feel it was right for her to take Miyuki away from her brother if said girl already had plans with him.

"She already has other things planned so we'll just have to do it another day. Well then, let us catch up some other time, good day everyone." Maymui said with a smile before giving everyone a small bow. This made the male assistant look at Tatsuya quite angrily, shortly following behind Mayumi quietly. Something was telling Tatsuya that it wouldn't be the last time they would cross paths with one another. It can only be a matter of time and that was something he wasn't looking forward to.

"I'm sorry Onii-sama, because of me…" Miyuki started.

"There's no need to apologize Miyuki."

"Onii-sama…"

"Thanks for your hard work today. That was a great address reply." Tatsuya said cupping some of her hair in his hand.

"Err…hello?" Erika was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable looking at them go at it. Whatever the hell was going on she didn't need to see it, turning her head away from them awkwardly. When she did this, Erika suddenly spotted a certain head of white hair that belonged to a certain individual out the corner of her vision.

"Nero-san…wait up!" A voice called out now coming up behind the boy. The person appeared to be the same blonde haired girl from earlier that he was conversing with. Nero stopped walking and waited patiently for the girl to catch up as they both started to go look at their homeroom.

"Ah...Nero-san!" Erika said aloud which caught the attention of those close to her…even Mayumi.

"**HEY! NERO…HEY!~"** Erika happily called out to him, waving in his direction. Her action made everyone there look toward the person Erika called out to. Mayumi's eyes landed on the same rude white haired male from earlier, frown returning across her features to boot. This did not go unnoticed by the male assistant next to her either. He could sense the clear discomfort of his dear president and would not forgive anyone who would make her feel that way.

Tatsuya kept his calculating gaze on Nero as he watched how things would play out. Miyuki however, was truly looking at Nero for the first time. The one time she noticed him she couldn't quite see his face before. No wonder he seemed so familiar to her, his snow white hair. But now that she could, Miyuki could not deny one fact even though she wanted to push it away and out of her mind. The fact being, this particular person before her…was unbelievably handsome. So much that just his appearance made her avert her eyes for a brief second before refocusing back on him.

Mizuki…well she was as still as a statue. To the point that if she moved one inch from her current position she felt this perfect picture she's looking at would shatter. However, that is not the only thing she noticed about Nero.

"His aura…" was all she whispered is amazement but Tatsuya heard her and so did Erika. What exactly did she see when she looked at him?

"Well, if it isn't Erika." Nero said coolly as he walked up to them with what seemed to be an elegant posture. Now standing close to him, everyone now realized just how tall he truly was while his muscular build only added to his unapproachable aura. Well except for Erika that is, since she was a daring kind of girl.

"And who's the girl with you?" Erika asked Nero with a raised eyebrow as she looked at the shy looking girl or should we say, more at her well-developed frame with slight irritation in her voice.

"And why exactly are you asking me who she is when she's standing right here next to me? Shouldn't you just ask her yourself?" Nero said with mock un-interest causing Erika to pout cutely. He had a point. Erika shook her head before sighing in defeat. The least she could do was properly introduce herself to Shiemi.

"Hi there, my name is Erika Chiba. It's nice to meet you!" Erika extended her open hand to give the blonde haired girl a proper handshake. Hesitating at first, Shiemi wasn't used to this kind of friendly attention but she slowly took Erika's hand into her own. The shy girl smiled a bit more relaxed as she also returned the introduction. It almost seemed too good to be true but it seemed like her goal to gaining friends was coming true faster than expected.

"H-hello Chiba-san, my name is Shiemi Moriyama. It's nice to meet you too." Shiemi said as Erika then pointed at her friend Mizuki who seemed to still be undressing Nero with her eyes.

"And this is my friend Mizuki Shibata. Um…she would normally introduce herself and say "hi" but I think something or someone is keeping her temporally occupied." Erika said looking dead at Nero.

Erika gave him the 'it's you idiot' look as if it was obvious. Tatsuya hated to intrude but he coughed in his hand so he could make himself known. Erika heard his slight grunt and turned to him with a look of guilt for forgetting about both Tatsuya and his sister.

"Oh sorry, and this is Tatsuya Shiba-san and his sister Miyuki Shiba." the red head finished with her hand in their direction.

"_Tatsuya?"_ Nero thought about the name carefully. That name…it was somehow familiar to him but he just couldn't remember where he had heard it from. Anyway, for now he'll just push that thought in the back of his head and figure it out later. Nero's attention suddenly traveled towards the sister of the Shiba siblings.

"You recently gave a speech at the entrance ceremony not too long ago right? You did pretty good." Nero said genuinely as he looked down at the Shiba sister. The height difference between the two of them was far too noticeable. Nero had to literally look down at her to meet her gaze.

"Thank you very much Nero-san." Miyuki bowed politely out of respect before she brought her head back up to look into those deep blue orbs of his. There was just something about them that made her intrigued but also caused her to look away again. Miyuki's brows started to scrunch up in confusion. She didn't understand what was going on and why she had such a reaction to the boy. Sure Nero was extremely handsome but it shouldn't cause her to feel so self-aware about herself.

"Oh Angelo-kunnn~" Erika came over poking his arm making said male's eye twitch in annoyance.

"What Erika?"

"_Nero Angelo._" Miyuki thought to herself while looking at the two who were talking amongst each other. They seemed like they have known each other for years even though they most likely just met. It was a sight to behold for the group as both Nero and Erika continued to go back and forth with one another.

"What class are you in hmmm?" Erika asked still in his personal bubble. If the twitching brow of the boy was any indication of his annoyance it would be impossible to understand it any other way.

"Class 3H, why?"

"Oh no reason really…just wondering…" Erika wore a big smirk as she mocked Nero. He just knew that the redheaded girl was going to be a hand full while he was going to attend school there. However, from a short distance away you could see Mayumi who randomly pulled out a handkerchief and started to bite down on it, pulling extremely hard.

"What's with this? Why is he so nice to them but was so rude to me?!" Mayumi whispered frustrated at how well they were all getting along. Was this all some kind of sick joke to make her feel ignored? If it was…then it was sure working. Wait, why was she blushing? Was she into this kind of thing?

"That rude, good looking jerk!" she continued as the male next to her frowned even more while looking back to the group they left not too long ago.

"_Just what exactly happened between that guy and madam president?_" he asked himself before looking back to Mayumi who was still looking at Nero before closing her eyes and biting harder on her handkerchief. Her breathing was unsettled and rapid as she thought to herself that it would be a good time to leave from that location. Knowing how Mayumi's day has been so far she wouldn't have been surprised at all if something else happened that made her flip out completely. She turned to leave but the red eyed beauty took a step forward stopping, taking one last glance in the group's direction. Mayumi would make sure to keep an eye on that boy from now on. He was definitely a jerk…that was for sure but she was somehow also hopeful that he would eventually come around from that behavior of his. Because when he does...wait, what the heck was she just thinking?

"W-well then…shall we be off to the student council room?"

"Yes madam president." As the assistant followed behind Mayumi, he noticed her acting strangely as she tried to hide her face from him. Either his eyes were playing tricks on him or he could swear he saw red covering her cheeks. Was she that angry with that white haired Stem student? Whoever he was, there was no way he could ever forgive him if he was stressing out his president to this extent.

* * *

After they all viewed their classrooms and other areas of the school they were allowed to leave since the real day would start tomorrow. So now on his way to the front gate, Nero was suddenly stopped by the sound of a voice he has come to remember quite well.

"Hey Prince-san…wait up!" He almost wished that he didn't stop. This nickname only came from one person he knew, Erika.

"What?" Nero asked slightly annoyed. Erika she loved it regardless.

"Let's go home together. I was going to ask Tatsuya and the others but I think they already left." Erika said walking in harmony with him as they headed towards the train station.

"And how do you expect to do that? As far as I know we could live on opposite sides from one another." Nero said in his monotone voice making Erika frown since he had a point.

"Well I live at least forty-five minutes or so away from here if we're to take the train, what about you?" Erika said to Nero as she noticed the boy was not saying anything but she could swear she saw sweat come down his forehead.

"Forty-five minutes?" Nero asked trying to make sure he heard her right.

"Mhmm, I live on Shukuhi road. My family pretty much has our own land out there. It's a really big looking temple not too many people could miss it." She said causing said boy to sigh to himself.

"If it's the same one I think it is…then that means…" Nero said looking at the girl causing Erika to give the victory sign.

"So we do live close to each other don't we? What about you then?" She asked as she had both her arms behind her back holding her bag.

"I live in the apartment complex a bit further down from Shukuhi road. But to think this whole time that ridiculously big estate was yours. You must be well off." Nero said nonchalantly as he looked at Erika. What he didn't expect to see from the hyperactive girl was the expression she was wearing on her normally beautiful face. She looked so sad and deep in thought, almost like she was really thinking about what he had just said.

"There's really nothing great about it..." Erika quietly whispered to herself in a way Nero couldn't hear. She hated the thought of going back home some days and it was one of the few thoughts that would bring a frown to her lips. That place…there was nothing but loneliness and expectations. Sometimes she just wished she could run away from it all.

"Erika?" Nero called out to her which seemed to jolt the girl out of her thoughts. She noticed now that he might have seen her saddened state and quickly tried to fill herself with her normal bubbly confidence while changing the subject.

"Hey, I know! Since we live so close together maybe we should hang out sometime. What do you think?" She asked Nero while happily walking backwards in front of him, holding her bag behind her. Nero was far from dense when it came to reading the mood. Especially after having seen the look he could never have imagined her wearing. He looked at her for a few seconds until closing his eyes and deeply sighing once again.

"Do whatever you want."

* * *

Tatsuya and Miyuki were home now and both seem to have things on their minds. It seemed to be about the same person but for different reasons.

"Nero Angelo…" Miyuki said to herself while trying to figure out the new enigma that appeared at school earlier that day.

"He is really good looking…" She thought while her face was slightly buried in her pillow on her bed.

"_There is just something about him that I can't quite put my finger on…._" she thought. He was someone that seemed like he preferred to be to himself more often than not. Miyuki did wonder what made him the way that he was though. It was actually a bit strange to her that someone like him would purposely try to distance himself from others. She almost felt sorry for him since she knew better than anyone how gaining attention from certain groups of people could be quite overwhelming. But then there was the fact that he was only a Steam "course three" student but gave her a feeling that he was much more than what his status branded him as. Those repeating thoughts in her mind made her want to get to the bottom of why she was so fascinated with such minor things to begin with? It dawned on the Shiba princess that she was letting her curiosity get the better of her a bit too much as a slight frown formed from her thin lips.

"Brriinggg!* suddenly, out of nowhere her phone went off. Sitting up from her comfortable position on her bed, Miyuki closely inspects the caller ID to see who it was. As her eyes took in the information of who was on the other line, Miyuki started to feel all of her energy leave her body. The last thing she wanted was to talk to **that** person at the moment. The girl was starting to feel depressed as a result.

"It's them again…"

Tatsuya who was in the living room was typing on his computer about ways to perfect one of his prototypes he was working on. As Tatsuya did so, he occasionally remembered the white haired devil who was acting nice to his younger sister earlier.

"_Nero…Angelo, just who on earth are you really_?" Tatsuya thought. There was this feeling in his gut that told him that he should look deeper into exactly who Nero truly was. He hated not knowing a potential threat and Nero was no exception. Anyone, no, everyone around him and his sister were possible threats. That is why he always made sure to do research on anyone he has personally come into contact with. The thing is, Nero was a special case. For some reason he wasn't able to find out any major detail about him other than the information in regards to his date of birth and place of residence back home. That was impossible. No matter how good someone was at hiding their identity, there would always be some sort of information that will linger and eventually come to light. But it was strange, in Nero's case…he could find nothing. It almost made him feel like Nero was someone more dangerous than he could have ever imagined. Someone like him could surely be a problem if he was to get involved with him and his sister Miyuki. For now, Tatsuya felt it would be appropriate to try and devise a plan of countermeasures just in case he would need to get rid of him. As he continued to think to himself a sound coming from his sister's room reached his ears. Turning his vision he noticed the disapproving look on his sister's feature as she slowly made her way into the kitchen.

"Onii-sama, I'm about to make coffee would you like some?" she asked but he could hear the sadness in her voice.

"Uh, yes thank you." he said but he noticed the state she was in. Something unnerved her and it was clear as day to him.

"Miyuki, is something wrong?" this halted the girls movements as she slightly shook her head in a negative motion.

"Onii-sama, they called me again."

* * *

It was the next day and Nero was making his way to the train station for school. "Morning Nero." he heard a female voice that he recognized.

"Yo, Erika." he said lazily as the girl ran up to him with a smile plastered across her face.

"I didn't think you would be out this early before walking to school." she said checking her watch.

"Who knows…maybe I was in a good mood and felt like meeting up with someone." Nero laxly said causing Erika to blink a couple of times.

"And who is this person you are going to see so early in the morning on a school day?" She more so asked with interest. If anything the redhead looked like she was dying to hear his answer especially from just the stupid smirk she had on her face. Erika had her suppositions already though. Someone like Nero could probably date just about anyone he wanted to so it wouldn't be that surprising to hear him say something like that.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you? She's a really pretty girl I met earlier this week. I mean…she seems ok but she's super noisy and a bit of a tomboy. Come to think of it, she has red hair just like you too. Same height, eye color…it's a bit scary actually..." Nero said in his monotone kind of way as he started to walk ahead without her. Hearing this new bit of information made Erika to frown more.

"Oh really, and who is this girl you speak of?" Erika was barely able to hold back her growing smile. It was clear on her face as she hastily picked up her pace to catch him.

"Come on just tell me!" she demanded to know.

"Would you shut up if I said it was you?" Nero said walking past Erika who stopped dead in her tracks.

"Y-you think I'm pretty?" She asked blushing tenfold before it hit her, remembering everything else he said afterwards. That good looking bastard!

"HEY! Nero you jerk! You called me a tomboy!" Erika yelled as she cutely pouted.

"You coming or what?" Nero was a good length ahead of the girl. He stopped to look back at the blushing girl who hurried to his side but before they started walking again, she lightly punched his arm.

"Point proven." he said before walking off and making Erika's blush more prominent.

"Hey, you take that back! I'm very lady like!" Erika protested. It fell on deaf ears if the fact he continued on quietly wasn't a clear indicator. Why did he have to go and say something like that out of nowhere? Damn womanizer thinks she will fall for something like that? Well…it wouldn't hurt to hear him say things like that every now and then though.

"Nero, you idiot…"

* * *

Miyuki and Tatsuya were both on their way to school as they left their family home. The Shiba princess was as beautiful as ever it would seem. Looks from onlookers were a guaranteed effect of her presence alone. It was almost as if a red carpet was made especially for her as the people made way. Miyuki and her brother were in light conversation in regards to his adapting to his new school life. She was happy like this…it was so nice to live a normal life without fear or concern. She could only think about the new friends she has made while attending First High.

A small yet beautiful smile graced her lips as she could recall the events. She thinks of the new faces of the recent people she has meet over the week. She remembers the students of the student council, her brother's new classmates Erika and Mizuki, and then…she remembers the foreign white haired boy Nero Angelo. He was such a mystery to her. She couldn't quite understand the handsome devil that has been recently on her mind lately.

He seemed like the "loner" type that didn't really socialize with other people unnecessarily. But he did seem to be friendly or at least…that's what she could feel from him. She was sure that someone like Nero and with his charm, should have no trouble making friends if he really wanted to so it was a matter of his preferences. Miyuki was still deep in thought, looking down with a troubled expression as they continued to walk. Tatsuya noticed his sister's expression and wondered what could be bothering her enough to make such a face like the one she was currently wearing.

"Miyuki, what's wrong?" Tatsuya asked looking at her from the side. Miyuki slowly shook her head to shake off her current thoughts. The last thing she wanted to do was trouble her brother with more of her worries.

"It's nothing Onii-sama, I was just in deep thought. Please don't worry yourself about me." Miyuki said with a slightly forced smile. But she should know that her brother could sense that something was indeed bothering her or on her mind so telling him something like that would never work.

"Miyuki…you know you can't fool me. Tell me what's bothering you." Her brother's obvious concern caused Miyuki to look over in his direction once more.

"Onii-sama, do you think that we could stay like this? This nice, peaceful life…not having to worry about fulfilling orders given to us?" She asked her brother. This whole time his sister felt like this and he realized it at some point not to long before transferring to First High. Her feelings in regards to their current situation when it came to the world around them were quite relatable. In his being he felt that she would want things to stay this way compared to going back to the role she has as the next heir of the family. Tatsuya really took what she said in deep thought. After all, she had a point. Life for them might not always be this relaxing down the road so thoughts like the ones his younger sister were having was completely understandable.

"I cannot say for sure Miyuki, but I do know one thing. I will do whatever in my power to make your happiness last for as long as I possibly can. That's as much as I could do for now as your older brother." Tatsuya said with a small smile as he rubbed the top of her head gently. Miyuki's features gained a small smile in appreciation.

"Nero, you are so adorable when you get mad!"

"Shut up…" The siblings heard two familiar voices as they saw both Nero and Erika walking together. Of course they seemed to be engaged in some sort of conversation as they repeatedly went back and forth. It was obvious the Chiba redhead had got under the white haired devil's skin somehow as she looked to be beaming with a sense of victory.

"Nero-san, Erika-san…good morning." Miyuki called out gaining their attention.

"Oh Miyuki-chan, Tatsuya-kun, good morning\Morning…" Erika and Nero greeted back as they made their way over to the siblings. Miyuki once again was taken aback by the silky white haired male's good looks. It was downright unbelievable.

"Miyuki-san, you seem to be getting along well with everyone at school. I already hear people talking about the great Miyuki Shiba in class now." Erika said as she and Miyuki were walking and talking to one another about school and a few girl things. Nero and Tatsuya followed behind quietly but you could feel that both were trying to avoid one another. He didn't know why but Nero could tell that Tatsuya didn't take too fondly to him. Nero didn't really care but it was a bit annoying.

"I wouldn't go that far Erika-san. I'm sure they only see me as such for now because of my recent speech." Miyuki was being far too modest. Erika shook her head with closed eyes which was also accompanied by her famous smirk. Usually if you saw it, you would know that she was thinking of something ridiculous or up to no good.

"Just how silly can you be Miyuki? You are like a walking goddess to those people. If anything, maybe you could use it to your advantage?" Miyuki gave an awkward closed eye smile to that. Erika sure knew how to speak her mind…

Erika took this time to look back at both Nero and Tatsuya as they walked most of the way without a peep.

"Nero, Tatsuya, you two seem awfully quiet back there." Erika said with a mock smirk aimed mainly at Nero who nonchalantly fired back with a jab of his own.

"At least it's not awfully talkative…" Even Tatsuya had to smirk at that one.

"Hey!" Erika pouted at him before sticking her tongue out.

"Right back at you, tomboy." Nero's insult gained a tick mark from Erika.

"Take that back you damn pretty boy!" Nero's own eye twitched in obvious annoyance. Erika just knew how to tip him over quickly.

"What's with that nickname anyway? I'm not even that good looking!" Nero asked sounding like he really wanted to know why she kept calling him that. Both Miyuki and Erika looked at each other in amazement thanks to his ignorant comment about his looks. The two girls shook their heads in disbelief with a small giggle before looking back at him.

"Y-you're kidding right? Who knew you had it in you to be a troll Nero. I'm…actually impressed." Erika said with a hint of sass in her voice. Nero didn't really take kindly to the answer he received to his question and because of it he tried his best to ignore them. Miyuki however, still couldn't put her finger on it but there was just something about Nero she just couldn't figure out. If she was honest with herself, she was extremely curious about the handsome white haired devil. Maybe she could ask him if he has been enjoying his time at the school so far? Anything at the moment would do to strike up some form of conversation. After all, it was hard to become friends with someone who barely talked to her in the first place. Building up courage seemed a bit more difficult than usual in her case at that very moment. Maybe ask him if he was getting along with his classmates or his peers? Erika was surprisingly watching quietly as she observed the Shiba princess' actions. The glint within her eyes were proof of that much.

"Nero-san…" Miyuki suddenly spoke up as the group caught back up to him. Hearing the girl asking for his attention caused Nero to look down at her as they walked.

"What is it?" Miyuki averted her gaze from his piercing blue eyes. The older Shiba brother was glad that his younger sister was talking to other people besides himself. It was a nice change of pace to be honest but he was still wary of Nero. The most he could do for now was keep a close eye on him.

"Do you hav.."

"Look, its Miss Shiba-san!" A voice suddenly called out cutting Miyuki's question off in the middle of her brave attempt. It seems the group of four didn't notice that they arrived to the school gate and were greeted with many students. As the students flocked over to Miyuki, Nero started walking away with his lax demeanor, eyes closed and with his hands in his pockets. Nero felt it was time to go their separate ways before thing escalated. The last thing he wanted was to get stuck in the middle of one of Miyuki's…gatherings. No way in hell was he ever going to find out how terrifying that could be.

"It seems like you've got your hands full so I'll be on my way." Nero said coolly as he waved over his shoulder like normal.

"Nero, coming behind you!" Erika said as she also tried to escape Miyuki's crazed fan-club. Miyuki could only look at the two as they walked further and further away, staring at their retreating forms. Maybe in Miyuki's case she was staring more so at the mysterious devil. It was a bit of a coincidence that she was interrupted as soon as she was about to ask him a question. The events stopping her from finding out more about him only made her want to find out even more. It almost made her think maybe there were things better left unknown if this was a reoccurring outcome. Her eyes eventually averted back to the crowd of people as she gave them her warmest and most beautiful smile yet. For now…whatever her curiosity wanted at that point in time would have to wait. She will just make it a goal of hers to talk to him later.

"Good morning everyone." the young Shiba sister gave them a polite bow as half of the crowd was won over by her innocent and captivating appearance. Tatsuya could only sigh to himself as he also felt maybe he should follow both Nero and Erika's example.

"It seems like it's time for me to go as well Miyuki. I'll make sure to talk to you later." Tatsuya said to his sister as the girl understood the situation.

"Alright Onii-sama…" Miyuki said softly walking off in the direction of the student council building with the crowd still following behind her. Tatsuya then went his own way towards his homeroom class. He could only shake his head in thought of what that would be like.

* * *

Nero was on his way to class when he found a male student picking on a small looking girl with pink hair who seemed to be at least eight or nine years of age. How was that even possible? This place could have kids just walking around here like everything is normal all of a sudden? Something didn't seem quite right about that. The thought lingered in Nero's mind as he thought about the possibilities. There were female students around that looked to be trying to stop the black haired boy from what he was doing be he wouldn't listen.

"Stop it, that's enough! Just leave her be."

"Yeah, cut it out! If you don't stop we'll go and fetch the discipline committee chairwoman." The girls said. Even with all of their warnings the boy paid them no mind. He knew that this person wasn't normal after he caught sight of what was around her neck. Just what was she playing at trying to show herself around a place like this?

"All of you need to be quiet. I could have my father send all of you whiners packing with just one phone call so do me a favor and shut up. As for you…"

"What do you think you're doing?" Nero asked suddenly making his way towards the commotion. His voice was ice cold, enough to send chills down the arrogant boy's spine.

"It's Angelo-sama." The females stopped instantly. They all had heard about the handsome Stem a few times beforehand thanks to the information going around the school.

"It's Nero…" another one of the girls said while watching him closely. He was definitely spot on with the rumors they have heard about him. It was one thing to hear about him and another to see the young devil in person.

"Who the hell are you?" Kuro asked before his vision had to travel upward. He could see the look in Nero's eyes and could tell that the white haired teen would probably resort to some form of physical violence.

"Y-you wouldn't dare. I could have my father call this school and have you ex…." However, he was cut off as he found Nero's boot slamming into his face. Kuro was sent sailing a good twenty feet before sliding to a stop unconscious. The female students saw a good opportunity to now inspect the downed little girl.

"She only has slight scuffs but other than that she should be fine." One of the girls said as her vision traveled to Nero. She didn't know much about him, only the rumors that have been floating around. Well, whatever she heard up until now, there were more than a few things that seemed true about him just from her observation alone. One of those things being that he looked really cool sticking up for the little girl just now despite his "loner" attitude.

"Thanks for helping out Angelo-san. Kuro-san is a real pain to deal with so you actually did us a favor." Hearing this made Nero give his signature closed eyed sigh. This place…there was always something going on at every given moment. He was only there for a few days and yet it felt like years already.

"Hey, are you alright?" Nero asked the young girl softly. He didn't always show his nice side to people regularly but if he did, it was with good reason. The female student who inspected the girl got up to return to her friends. He sure was something else.

Nero could hear the female students giggling behind him but chose to ignore them and focus on the little girl in front of him.

"You should be more careful. This isn't a place for kids to be running around. This is a schooling area for older students so where are your parents?" Nero asked. He was use to talking and being around kids thanks to his upbringing. Being an orphan while growing up allowed Nero to have a soft spot in his heart for kids. He knew better than anyone what it was like to feel lost and alone. However, the girl before him was shaking in her spot, eyes shadowed by her hair and tightly gnashing her teeth. Sure her savior was a beautiful specimen but she wouldn't let him get away with talking to her like that!

"I-I…" she started as Nero leaned in to hear her better.

"You what?" he asked.

"I-I'll have you know that I'm twenty-five you jerk!" She said as she looked up with watery eyes. Everyone always assumed she was a child and it was really starting to get annoying!

Nero's brain locked up as he looked at her blankly.

"Ok~ I think we should find your parent's now…" he wasn't going to buy into her lie in the slightest. It seemed that the young looking girl was still taking the situation pretty hard. Reaching in her shirt and pulling out her Teacher's license with a photo ID to boot, Nero's face fell. How was something like this even remotely possible? You mean to say that this person is actually…

"The Hell…"

* * *

In Tatsuya's class, he was on the computer while Mizuki and Erika both were talking to each other.

"Yep, so I'm supposed to hang out with Nero again later since I convinced him yesterday on our way home. Maybe he can make it up to me and get me something on the way home?" A proud Erika said a little too enthusiastically. You could obviously tell she was plotting something if the look on her face wasn't a dead giveaway.

"You're so lucky that you two can walk home together…" Mizuki said releasing a sad sigh. Her friend did get the chance to be with the handsome male after all. Something she wished she personally had more time to do herself. She wouldn't say it aloud because of her normally embarrassed personality but you could say that she has gained quite the crush on Nero. He was almost the definition of her perfect ideal significant other check list and he filled out just about every check mark there was. She would be lying if she said she wasn't jealous of her best friend for being so close to the white haired boy. It was just one of those times were she wished she could trade places with certain people even if it was for a day. *Click, Click, Click* Hearing continuous clicking, Mizuki turns her head to the person making the noise. Tatsuya seemed to be in the middle of something as he typed away on his keyboard.

"What are you doing Shiba-kun?" Mizuki asked as she seemed quite interested in whatever it was. This of course also gained Erika's attention.

"Confirming the curriculum and registering for Classes." Tatsuya spoke while not taking his eyes off of the screen even once.

"At breakneck speed if that!" Someone out of the group said causing Tatsuya to look at whoever said it.

"My bad, it's just kind of rare to see people using a keyboard to enter stuff in a computer these days." This male had brown hair and green eyes. He looked quite ordinary if that was the right word to use but he seemed like a nice fellow at the very least.

"Once you're used to it it's a lot easier this way in my opinion." Tatsuya stated. The brown haired male gave a small nod in understanding.

"Oh, my name is Leonhart Saijo. Honestly, you can just call me Leo. I specialize in Convergence-type Fortifying Magic sequences" the male now known as Leo said.

"I'm Tatsuya Shiba, you can call me Tatsuya."

"Okay then Tatsuya, then what are your signature spells?" Leo asked him as Tatsuya himself tried to think of what to say. He didn't want to say something that would draw too much attention to himself so he will stick to something normal for now.

"Well, I actually kind of suck at practical skills so I want to become a magic engineer."

"You don't say, well you do look like a smart guy so it's not too surprising…" Leo stated before Erika interrupted them.

"Wait, you're an aspiring magic engineer Shiba?" she asked slightly surprised from the fact. To think there were still people who wanted to be placed in that branch of profession?

"Hey Tatsuya, who's this dude?" Leo asked causing Erika to pull back to make sure she heard him right.

"Whoa, did you just call me a "dude" from the get-go? How rude is that? You forever alone types are always the same." Erika struck back, angering Leo as he arose from his seat, stalking closer to her.

"What the! Now who's the one being rude dammit?! And don't think you can get away with it because you're slightly good-looking!"

"Looks are important you know. Maybe you should follow Nero's example. Nevermind, that's way too impossible for someone like you. Just forget I even said that." Erika retorted. Leo grunted in annoyed anger. Just looking at that smug look on her face was enough to make him feel like boiling over.

"Excuse me? And who the heck is this Nero person anyway? I'm sure whoever he is, he can't be all that special." Leo said. This earned a hearty laugh from Erika as she started to wag her finger in his face. By now it was blatantly obvious that she was instigating a confrontation.

"You have no idea what territory you're stepping into…"dude."

"Oh yea? This Nero guy can't be **that** good looking. You are probably just saying that so you can win our argument! Besides, he can't be that much better looking than I am!" Leo said as Erika was seconds away from bursting out in laughter while Mizuki quietly turned her gaze and looked to the side. When Leo brought up the doubt in Nero's good looks there was something that made Mizuki almost pity Leo. He even had the audacity to compare Nero's looks to his own. If she wasn't as timid and kind as she was it was almost something she wouldn't be able to forgive. Leo clearly had no idea who the white haired male was or what he looked like. There was no way he would have ever said those words if he did. Tatsuya knew he needed to stop this squabble sooner or later before it got out of hand.

"Oh, are you sure about that? I mean…that thought might not be clear for a guy like you who confuses their sloppiness with the wild edgy look if you catch my drift." Erika said now back in his face. Erika just knew how to push people's buttons that's for certain.

"W-what was that?" Leo asked daring her to repeat what she said again. Who did she think she was anyway?

*Ding* Now hearing the bell Tatsuya tries to defuse the situation.

"Leo, just back off...that's the first bell. You too Erika, that was going a little too far." Tatsuya said causing the two to look at each other again, Erika in a taunting way while Leo was clearly still upset.

"Humph/huh!" They both said in harmony before going back to their respective seats. Erika of course was making faces at the boy as he continued to growl in his chair.

Suddenly, a woman came in the room with brown hair and brown eyes, people guessing she was the teacher for their class. As she came to the front of the class, her attention was focused on one main student…Tatsuya Shiba. It looked like this woman was already affiliated with the male somehow.

* * *

In Nero's class, he was sitting at his desk which was two spots across from Shiemi's. He just seemed so deep in thought. Of course he had the right to be, after all there was yet to be any strange activity since he has been in Japan. He actually started to hope he would come across something soon.

"Nero-san did you hear? Our teacher is on their way right now." Shiemi said causing Nero to sit up a bit.

"You know what they look like?" He had a gut feeling that it was who he thought it was but suddenly the bell went off and not to long after the door to the classroom opened.

No longer than two seconds later, a small pink haired girl walks into the room with a bright smile on her face and she seemed to carry a stool with her.

Now reaching the center desk, she places her things on it before hopping onto the stool to write her name on the advanced board.

"Nice to meet you everyone, from now on I'll be your home room teacher… Tsukuyomi Komoe." this made the class so quiet that even the crickets looked at each other before looking back at her.

"Ahh! It's you…" she said pointing toward Nero who had a hand on his face as he slowly dragged it down. Something told him this was going to happen.

"Uh…Komoe sensei, are you going to take roll call?" One student asked aloud breaking the almost unbearable silence. This was a bit much for everyone to take in but it seems like the day had to go on nonetheless.

"Oh...you're right! Let's see now…" Komoe said as she grabbed her student log. The teacher was about to start reading names but the classroom door opened to show two male Stem students. What in the world happened to them? They looked beat up really bad as they walked to their desks quietly.

"Oh my! W-what in the world happened to you boys?" Komoe asked them as they seemed to be afraid to even say.

"I-it was the Blooms…they said we were an eye sore and the next thing we know they just started beating on us…" one of the boys said as he held his head down in shame.

"All I wanted to do was reach my dream by becoming a C.A.D technician…" the other cried while whipping his tears away. Most of the other class members were dead quiet. They knew all too well what it was like to be treated differently compared to the first and second course students. However, Nero just couldn't sit there anymore.

"Just look at you…" He said as all eyes were now on him.

"If you look so un-nerved from just one beat down…maybe they were right about us." Nero said causing everyone to look even more depressed. What was he trying to say all of a sudden?

"Nero-san…" Shiemi whispered to herself sadly not understanding why Nero would say such a heartless thing at a moment like this. But it didn't seem like something he would do without good reason.

"It's funny though…why am I, someone who barely knows any of you the only one who believes in you people? Why don't any of you believe in yourselves as much as I believe in you?" Nero sighed to himself as he closed his eyes.

"Maybe I was wrong about all of you…" Nero then reopened his eyes looking around the classroom.

"To be completely honest…I usually don't like getting into other people's business. But for some reason, I just couldn't sit here quietly anymore while you all looked so pitiful. It's incredible. You get so shaken up over something as small as this? Look…I'm not trying to be the voice in your ear so who am I to tell any of you anything? After all, it's your lives so you can live them however you want. But don't be so quick to give up and sell yourselves short. Each of you have your own reasons for wanting to be here don't you?" The students in his class sat quietly in deep thought about what Nero just said. Sure, it was a bit harsh but his intentions were felt. They can't sit here and be gloomy forever. Sometimes you have to move forward regardless of how tough some things seemed to be. That was called "maturing."

"…Angelo-san is right…" One of the female students said gaining the others attention.

"How long are we going to sit here doing nothing but licking our wounds? We attend this school with the mindset of us following our dreams even though we knew very well that we weren't like the course one and two students…" the girl said with resolve. She wasn't going to give up so easily.

"Yeah…I refuse to give up now!" Another student spoke as they got up from their seat. This made other students in the class also get up with new found motivation. Who knew…maybe a few harsh words of encouragement was a dose they needed.

"YEAH!" More yelled in determination.

Ms. Komoe was happy that her students were able to cheer up after the heavy atmosphere. Though the methods were a bit straight forward, she felt it all turned out for the better. A smile appeared on her face as she looked at the white haired teen. He had his chin resting in his hand while his eyes were still closed with lack of interest. He acts like he doesn't care…but Nero was truly a kind hearted boy. She could see that clearly even if he doesn't like to openly admit it.

"_Good job Nero-san…good job._"

* * *

As lunchtime arrived most students already received their trays of food while students like Nero and Shiemi took some time entering the cafeteria.

At one table Tatsuya, Leo, Mizuki and Erika were sitting having lunch together as they were engaged in small talk. Leo was mostly talking to Tatsuya who did not seem all that interested in whatever the boy was talking about while Erika being herself picked at Leo annoying him with each passing second.

"Hey look, it's those Stem students." They suddenly heard students say to one another. Could you blame them? The people they were currently looking at were appealing to the eyes.

"Hey, isn't that the Handsome Zero?" One girl asked her friends as they nodded in agreement.

"Yea, it is him. Isn't he good looking?" The three at Tatsuya's table heard. They knew exactly who they were talking about but Leo was a bit clueless.

"Wait, who's that beautiful girl with him?" Another asked obviously regarding the blonde haired girl Shiemi. This caused Erika to have whiplash looking around for the center of everyone's commotion. Finally spotting them as Nero seemed to be in line with the blonde girl Shiemi, if she remembers correctly?

"Hey! Nero, Shiemi come sit with us!" Erika yelled not really caring about what the others thought about her actions. They were her new supposed friends regardless of what they were as students. She would be damned if something as dumb as that would stop her from talking to them.

"You hear that? Weeds and Stems sitting together…" Some students said as whispers could be heard filling the cafeteria. Nero and Shiemi walked over to Erika's table as Leo looked at both of them in wonder. He looked at Nero and took in his appearance…

"_So this is the guy Erika was mentioning earlier?_" Leo quickly coughed in his hand and looked to the side. There was no way someone, especially a guy could look that good. He cursed himself for having even thought Nero and himself wouldn't be too far in looks. He now realized that he was gravely wrong. Erika patted a spot next to her seat as she scooted over for Shiemi to sit down. She didn't want the girl to feel uncomfortable sitting next to Leo after all. He was a bit much to handle.

"I'm not entirely sure I want to eat this…" Nero said while looking at his tray gaining a laugh from Erika and Shiemi since Mizuki looked to be having an internal battle with herself. The girl with glasses seemed to be playing with her fingers as she looked to be trying to find the right words to say.

"Ah…N-Nero-san, if you'd like you could have some of my lunch?" Mizuki said with a heavy blush on her features. She mustered all of her courage to ask that question so there was no turning back now. Nero looked over to the girl with a raised eyebrow. He guessed she was trying to be nice after she heard his complaint regarding the school's meals.

"Mizuki was it? You don't have to go out of your way for someone like me. You have my thanks for your kind offer though." Nero said casually only causing the girl to blush a bit harder.

"N-no Nero-san, I don't mind at all. I actually m-made a bit more than I can normally eat today so please…help yourself." Erika watched things play out with a bit of interest. Her friend seemed to be coming out of her shell right before her very eyes.

Nero could feel that Mizuki's intentions were truly sincere and he couldn't turn down her kind offer after seeing how much effort she put into asking him. Nero closed his eyes and sighed to himself. He didn't always trust the food of other people but it would seem that for now Mizuki would be the acceptation.

"If it's really ok with you Mizuki, then I will accept your offer." This caused the girl's face to brighten up in delight.

"H-here you go Nero-san." She said to him as she holds out her homemade bento box. There were a few varieties of sandwiches and small octopus shaped hotdogs nesting perfectly in the tight container. Nero observing the food carefully, took one of the neatly made sandwiches from the bento as he looked at it.

"Well…here goes nothing…" as Nero slowly took a bite into the neatly made sandwich, he was expecting it to not taste as good as it looked but the more he chewed, the better it started to taste. In fact, that was probably one of the best sandwiches he's had in a long while. Nero had to stop for a brief moment and look at the surprisingly tasty home prepared food in his hand.

"H-how is it Nero-san?" Mizuki asked as she watched the boy eat one of her hand prepared lunches.

"It's delicious. Mizuki, you might have to make enough for me every day if it's going to taste anything like this." This caused the girl to burst into a flustered bliss. Her face was now tomato red as she looked down cutely and played with her fingers again. Leo was too busy blushing three shades looking at Shiemi to see the glasses wearing girl's reaction. Shiemi was incredibly beautiful. Nothing more than that needed to be said.

"_She's so pretty…"_ Leo thought to himself before noticing Erika out the corner of his vision. She looked to be wagging her finger in his direction and it made him frown deeply. Her 'no, no, no' fashion taunt was starting to irritate him because of what the redheaded girl wasimplying. Leo wouldn't back down because of her! He ended up doing what any person would who felt distain toward another person; he ignored her warning and tried to make advances toward the shy blonde girl anyway.

*Gmhm* clearing his throat, Leo grabbed the shy girl's attention as her gorgeous green eyes landed on him in wonder. "Hello, my name is Leonhoe Sanji. I mean…Lanji Haruto." wait, what in the world was he doing!? Leo blushed madly from messing up his own name. This was so messed up. Shiemi looked at the brown haired boy with confusion and Erika was about to burst as she held her side and her month waiting to blow.

"You good?" Nero asked with a raised eyebrow, watching Leo struggle to get his name out of his mouth. Strangely or not really that surprising, for some reason when Nero asked Leo his question of concern, Erika could not hold it any longer and exploded in laughter.

"HA-HA-HA-HA! "YOU GOOD?" HE ASKED! HA-HA…"LANJI HARUTO!"...HA…oh my God…HA-HAAAAAAAH!~" Holding her stomach while now slamming her other hand on the table repeatedly in mockery. Leo looked like he wanted to die, slowly sinking into his seat to hide himself from any more shame.

Nero looked at Erika for a second as he scoped the situation. It seems they were putting on a Broadway show for everyone to see. The looks and whispers from the people around them was proof of that much. The redhead seemed to no notice her volume had since exceeded a level that can be used indoors.

"Hey tomboy, you mind lowering your voice?" Nero asked her in his normal voice which in turn caused the girl to stop laughing instantly. It's almost as if he knew what to say to make her be quiet. That bastard!

"Tomboy!? Take that back you jerk!" She growled out angrily before seeing Nero's face that clearly showed 'you're making a scene' all over it. Erika took the hint and looked around to see most of the student's eyes were indeed focused on them making a small bit of pink dust her cheek in slight embarrassment.

"He-he…uhh..oops?" Erika said almost unsure but deep down she knew it was so worth it.

"Onii-sama." Suddenly, the voice of Miyuki called out to her brother making everyone look at her as she approached their table. Upon arriving to her destination, Miyuki noticed Nero was sitting at the table amongst some new faces she has yet to meet. The blonde girl Shiemi from the other day was also there and seemed to be getting along well with everyone else there. Miyuki personally was trying her best to avoid Nero's gaze, feeling his eyes burrowing into her. It's not because she didn't like the boy. It was mostly because every time she looked into his piercing eyes she felt...nervous. It wasn't a bad feeling per say but that is what she didn't understand. She was so captivated by his looks that in some way Miyuki Shiba felt that she was betraying her Onii-sama somehow. Quickly Miyuki shook her head to rid herself of those roaming thoughts and looked back to her brother and his friends.

"Umm…is it alright if I join you?" She asked looking at everyone but Nero who went back to eating his food courtesy of Mizuki.

"Sure, you can sit with us." Erika and Shiemi scooted over to make some more room.

"Thank you very much." Politely bowing, she took a seat and released a sigh. Today has been rather hectic for her the past couple of hours. If it wasn't because of her duties in the committee it was because of her admirers. Nevertheless, Miyuki then realized something, from where she was sitting, Nero and her were straight across from one another. She didn't realize she was doing it but Miyuki started to stare at the boy as he ate another one of Mizuki's sandwiches. Nero himself could feel eyes on him as he ate so he looked to see it was Miyuki Shiba who was staring dead in his direction. They both made eye contact for an extended period of time causing Miyuki to finally understand what was going on and blush while averting her gaze, embarrassed for being caught staring in the first place. It's one thing to look at someone without them noticing that you were doing so but when they actually catch you staring it can be a bit embarrassing. But what the both of them didn't notice was that there was a shy pair of green eyes looking at the two of them keenly.

"Tatsuya, who is she?" Leo asked gaining some of his courage to speak back thanks to Nero taming Erika's behavior.

"Miyuki Shiba, my younger sister."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Miyuki Shi…" but she never got to finish her introduction.

"Miyuki-san!" someone called out to her. Everyone turning their gaze to a bland if even noticeable brown haired male with gray eyes.

"Let's go somewhere else where there's more room." he said with a sickly fake smile. You could tell that the boy was obviously irritated about something.

"You shouldn't disturb them." one black haired girl said as she looked at Miyuki.

"Oh no…it's fine. I'll stay here and…." Miyuki tried to get her words out.

"Miyuki-san…you shouldn't share a table with a bunch of Weeds and even worse…Stems." The brown haired boy said looking around the table making Shiemi feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Huh?" Erika must be hearing things. There was no way this guy was speaking to them like this.

"We need to draw a line between courses one, two and course three students don't you think Miyuki-san?" Another male said angering Leo.

"What did you just say?" Leo now standing up from his seat. Like hell he would let this person say whatever they wanted while disrespecting all of them. What the hell was with some of these people and their superior being complex? This guy even went so far as to insult Shiemi right in front of him. No way was he going to let that slide.

Suddenly, Nero stood up as walked off to dump his tray of food he didn't eat. He has seen enough to know he wanted nothing to do with whatever was about to transpire. The last thing Nero wanted was to punch the guy out in front of everyone there and draw unnecessary attention to himself. He was just better off leaving quietly before things escalated further or worse.

"Nero, where are you going?" Erika called out to him.

"I'm done eating so I'm going to head out." Nero implied in an attempt to make his way out of the cafeteria. It was starting to get crowded in there anyway.

"Nero, wait!" Erika motioned for Mizuki to move out of the way so she could follow the boy out. Seeing this made Mizuki realized that she should also leave before things escalated any more than they already have.

"I-it was nice seeing you again Miyuki-san." Mizuki bowed as she then walked off following Erika and Nero. Shiemi was right behind them as well but not without taking one last look behind her. Shiemi didn't like how that boy was looking at her or her friends. The look in his eyes was so unnerving that it felt as if he viewed them all as nothing more than trash. It upset her, talking about her new friends like that. No worse, talking about Nero like that. If living a life where you enjoyed feeling that you were somehow vastly better than someone else while purposely degrading and slandering them was a thing…then she wanted nothing to do with individuals like that. How could people be so cruel to one another? As kind and soft a girl Shiemi is, she felt that at that very moment, she could never forgive him for what he said. How dare he insult her friends like that.

"Miyuki, I'm done eating as well so I'll be taking my leave as well." Tatsuya followed suite right after. He wanted nothing to do with the new groups squabble. He could tell by how the boy talked with authority that no matter what Tatsuya himself said, it would all be meaningless. There were always times in life where just simply walking away from an obvious escalating situation made you the better person. Addressing such a situation with an act of violence is unnecessary. For now he would just meet up with the others outside and hope his sister would not be held up too long.

* * *

The time flew by quickly for that day. Nero was making his way to the front gate with Shiemi so they could leave and make their way home. He was bored out of his mind if that was the right way to put it but he knew he lacked patients on top of that. All he could think about was how things seemed so normal around there. No demons, no attacks, no threats to his life or anything. While Nero was deep in thought he didn't notice Erika and the others talking it out with the same group from earlier that they met in the lunchroom. Tatsuya and Miyuki were standing together in the far back as they looked upon the argument going on between the two groups. Things were starting to escalate more and more as this went on. Shiemi hearing commotion turned her attention to see the same group from earlier bothering her new friends. A frown appeared across her beautiful face as she watched them go back and for between one another and couldn't help be feel a sense of anger returning within her.

"Didn't you hear her say that she wanted to walk home with her **brother**? What right do any of you have to split them apart?" Mizuki asked causing Miyuki to blush misunderstanding her words completely.

"M-Mizuki-san…what exactly… what exactly are you implying?" Miyuki asked slightly flustered.

"This is a matter that concerns 1-A, so don't go around meddling with our affairs you lowly weeds!" the brown haired boy said with venom in his voice.

"And you!" He was now pointing towards Nero who was minding his own business. The boy hated Nero's existence! He was the new ridiculously good looking low life that stole all the attention. Every girl he came across would at least mention the white haired male at least once. It was frustrating and a blow to his ego that someone like **him** could get so close to Miyuki Shiba of all people.

Nero just continued to walk quietly with Shiemi next to him no paying the boy any mind. The blonde girl gave Nero a look from the side to see his reaction to the insults he was being bombarded with only to see his lack of interest. He didn't really care about that kind of verbal fighting so there was no point in caring about it right there either. That personality was something she liked about Nero even if he tried to pretend otherwise. However, that didn't excuse the feeling in her chest for every insult he threw the white haired devil's way. Shiemi felt something building up inside her the more she listened to the brown headed boy as he continued.

"You're nothing but a Stem! Someone like you should never be allowed to be around Miyuki-san!"

"You better leave Angelo-san out of this! Aren't we all newly enrolled students?! Just how superior do you think you are from us at this point?" Mizuki asked angrily causing the brown haired male to grind his teeth together.

"This is getting bad…" Tatsuya said before the brown haired male smiled.

"Do you want to know just how superior we are?"

"Sounds entertaining, why don't you show us then?" Leo asked readying himself for an upcoming fight.

"Fine, in that case…I damn well will show you…" the boy started to glow yellow as traces of magic spawned clearly over his body. Nero stopped in place and turned around to look at the boy. 'So he's really willing to go this far?'

"S-stop…" Shiemi whispered in a tone that no one could hear but she wished that they could. The usual timid girl wanted to find her voice so she could stand up for Nero, for her friends.

"This…is how much better we are…" now pulling out a gun shaped C.A.D and pointing it at the group. Nero suddenly gained a serious look upon his usually handsome features. No one had to get hurt over stupid things like this.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…" Nero replied suddenly. The chill he felt from hearing Nero's voice caused the male to halt his finger on the trigger. The boy didn't quite understand why himself, but he could feel fear from Nero's calm words. Wait, fear…from a Stem?

"A-and why the hell not?"

"Because if you were to pull the trigger on that gun of yours, just know that you brought the outcome upon yourself."

"You're bluffing!" with profusely sweating hands the boy gulped loudly. Nero made sure that his gaze met the boy's own.

"I'm serious." Those words to Tatsuya carried a huge meaning even though he knew little to nothing about Nero. For some reason, Tatsuya's gut told him that it would be bad news if Nero decided to comply with his warning. He had to intervene before Nero really ended up badly hurting the boy even if he deserved it.

"Y-you bastard…"

"S-STOP IT!" Shiemi suddenly yelled startling everyone nearby. Her face was one of a pained sadness as she looked at the group who were messing with her friends.

"Why? Why are you doing this? How could you be so cruel to another person so easily? I just don't understand…" her voice returned to a softer tone as she tried to fathom the reason behind such behavior.

"I don't care what you say about me but I won't let you insult my friends any longer, especially Nero-san. I-I won't let you!" Shiemi said with tightly closed eyes and flushed cheeks. If anything she was more cute than intimidating. Nero was slightly shocked by the girl's sudden outburst though. This was a side of her that he never saw so it was all new to him and the others around. Inwardly however, what she said made him feel a bit proud of her brave actions.

Erika seeing that the boy was occupied frombthe shy girl's outburst, dashed past Leo skillfully knocking the gun out of the brown haired boy's hand. It surprised the boy that she was able to move in so quickly from the distance she was recently standing from. Erika had the biggest smile on her face as she stood up from her crouched position, pointing what looked to be a black combat wand toward him and his group of followers.

"As you can see, it is so much easier to move my body from this distance." she stated mockingly. The boy held his hand in pain, sucking his tongue in annoyance. They just had to get in his way when everything was going so well before. They were all an eyesore and all of them except Miyuki were trash.

"Not too bad Erika. I mean…your form could use a bit of work but it was still nicely done." Nero jokingly stated causing Erika to turn and stick her tongue out at him.

"Oh please. You know I'm amazing." She boasted. Erika slowly made her way to join Nero and Shiemi, making sure that her eyes never left the body of the boy who started the whole mess. Nero himself, suddenly placed his hand gently on the top of Shiemi's head as the girl seemed to melt in his touch looking up at him curiously.

"Thank you…Shiemi." His gaze softening as he looked into her eyes. She didn't have to stick up for him the way she did but even so, he appreciated her for trying to stand up for even someone like him who she viewed as a friend. Shiemi's cheeks lit up brighter than ever once it finally hit her in regards to what she just did. Even she was surprised that she had the courage to say what she just did. But for her friends she would do it all over again.

Miyuki could see the look on the blonde's face as the girl looked at Nero fondly. If Miyuki didn't know any better she would assume that the blonde had a…never mind.

"All I wanted to do was go home peacefully without an idiot like you giving me an unwanted headache but that seems like it would be impossible even for someone like you." Nero said with disdain. The brown haired boy couldn't explain why he did it or why his body acted on its own but Nero's hard gaze made him to take a step back in fear. The one next to him didn't like what Nero said in the slightest however and if they had anything to say about it, everyone in Tatsuya's group would be on their knees begging for forgiveness.

"You filthy bastards! You think just because you're good looking you can talk down to us?" Now activating his C.A.D he aims it towards Nero, Shiemi and Erika.

"Please don't fight anymore!" A short light brown haired girl said also activating her own C.A.D. Tatsuya now activating his scan field could sense something was off. Miyuki noticed her brother's actions and knew what he was about to do.

"Onii-sama, don't…" but his arm stopped her from continuing as he deactivated it.

"It's fine. It looks like it's already taken care of." Tatsuya said before within seconds a magical attack strikes the female Bloom's wrist that was ready to use her magic.

Everyone but Nero turned their newly guided attention to the two approaching females who seem to hold their hands ready for anyone who refutes against them.

"Alright that's enough! Using magic in a way that does not involve self-defense is considered a criminal act!" Mayumi said while eyeing everyone. Mayumi's eyes traveled to the far back where they stopped on the retreating form of someone with white hair. She quietly stared at his back as he got further and further away. After all, there was only one person she knew with a head of hair that snow white.

"I'm sorry. This was my fault in the first place. He was only showing me his spell activation sequence since I asked to see it earlier. If I had known it was against campus rules to do so I would have never asked." Tatsuya said defending the boy who had a look of shock on his face before scrunching it in anger. Why was he trying to help him out after everything his did?

"And what of the girl who was ready to use her own spell?" the other female asked who had black short hair and golden eyes.

"It was just a flash spell, it's completely harmless." Tatsuya said making the golden eyed females eyes narrow.

"You have the ability to read spells before they are activated?" she asked him.

"I have some skill in that area but that's about it since I'm not very good at using that many practical spells." Tatsuya clarified but that only caused the female to look at him much with a much fiercer glare than before.

"You seem to be a good liar since you can say such things so casually without even flitching."

"I have no reason to lie to any of you." Tatsuya pointed to his shoulder, showing that it was missing the emblem of a bloom symbol.

"Since after all…I'm just a mere Weed."

'_That's right, those who come to this school are split into different groups depending on their status. Even if one has talent in other areas, people who are magically gifted are treated with more respect and high standards than us Weeds and Stems. That's just how this world is and like it or not our fates were sealed once we received these jackets.'_ Tatsuya thought to himself as the wind started to blow.

The tension was clearly starting to increase causing Miyuki to try helping her brother out.

"It was all a misunderstanding. I apologize greatly for causing you trouble." Miyuki bowed her head to show respect to her two superiors. This polite and unexpected gesture caused the golden eyed female to look slightly surprised.

"Then that should do Mari, don't you think?" Mayumi asked her friend as she moved in front of Tatsuya and the others with her closed eyed smile. Mari wasn't quite convinced but she decided to hear her partner out. Mayumi turned her attention back to Tatsuya and his group.

"Tatsuya-san, it really was just a learning experience for you right? It's not as if students can't teach each other some new things correct?" she asked looking at everyone else.

"But the implementation of magic entails some detailed restrictions. It would probably be a good idea to refrain from any self-schooling that involves magic activation." Mayumi's eyes once again drift over to the only head of white hair who was on their way off the school campus grounds.

"Ehhm…" the girl now known as Mari cleared her throat to gain the other's attention once more.

"But still Mayumi, don't you feel that they are getting off with just a small slap on the wrist? I think they need some form of punishment as an example." Mari stated but soon noticed Mayumi wasn't paying her any mind at that moment. Mayumi's attention seemed to be looking somewhere else entirely.

"Mayumi?" For some reason Mayumi felt like Nero was smoothly escaping his troubles. It didn't seem quite fair that everyone else got scolded but him. She was sure she saw him with the group as herself and Mari made their way over to their current location.

"Ara-ara, and where do you think you're going…Angelo-san?" Mayumi asked aloud with a forced closed eyed smile. Was it obvious to the others that she was rather moody that day? She could only hope they didn't notice. Nero now stopping in place gained the attention of Mari as well since her main focus until that point was Tatsuya and his group. All Nero did was slightly shift his head to the side before facing forward again and continuing to walk, hands back in his pockets.

"I'm going home."

"Wait!" Mari said as she gave the white haired a long stare.

"What?" Nero asked slowly stopping again.

"You're a Stem by the look of your attire. What's your name?" Mari asked strictly leaving room for debate out of the question. Everyone else in the group could feel the newly built tension in the air as Mari looked at him fiercely.

"My name isn't really that important and I'm sure whatever you have to say to me can wait until tomorrow." Nero said, continuing to walk as he waved lazily over his shoulder. The atmosphere got heavier as he continued to walk off.

"Nero-san…" Shiemi said the boy's name aloud to herself.

"_Is this guy insane?" _Leo asked sweating after hearing Nero's words. Sure he looked pretty damn cool doing that but there were lines that shouldn't be crossed.

"_This guy..."_ Tatsuya thought sighing.

"Excuse you!?" Mari snarled as she speedily walked over while grabbing his arm to spin him around. Only finding that she couldn't even budge him at all.

'_What is this guy made out of…lead?' _Mari thought before she found less resistance against her attempt as Nero himself decided to finally turn around and face her. All he wanted to do was go home quietly and yet here these people kept popping up one after another.

Nero looked down at Mari while she looked up at him. His blue eyes into her golden. "W-wha…" the male's gorgeous blue eyes seemed to attack her soul directly. She soon found she couldn't look away as her face started to heat up dramatically. What the hell was with this situation? Why didn't Mayumi warn her about someone like this? He was trouble. Someone like him was bad news if he looked like this. So this was the foreigner that she heard so many rumors about that floated around the school recently? There was absolutely no mistaking that one hundred percent of what she heard about him and his appearance was all true and more. It almost made her regretful that her heart fluttered for a few quick seconds even though she already had a boyfriend. Mari scolded herself for even having such a thought run through her head as she continued to stare dumbly into his ocean colored orbs.

"W-Watanabe-senpai, you're still holding onto Nero-san!" Shiemi squeaked flustered trying to separate the two of them with her words. Mari was knocked out of her daydreaming thanks to the blonde girl's voice. What she said to her didn't really register until looking down at her hand that was indeed still attached to his arm. Mari quickly let go as if she had her hand on a hot electric stove.

"I…but…" Mari was surprised by her actions. She shuddered at the fact that this male before her was this handsome. Quickly averting her vision she looked to see everyone's attention on the two of them. Some had blushes on their faces and others had nothing but shock. Then there were the ones with an annoyed face, Erika included. From the look on Erika's face however, it was something much deeper than annoyance there. You could see the girl hawking Mari down as if what the discipline chairwoman was doing was unacceptable.

"W-well, s-since the president herself seems inclined, I'm going to look the other way this time…b-but make sure this does not happen again!" Mari stated before turning to her friend flustered.

"Mayumi, please continue without me. I have other duties to attend to." Mari said before quickly leaving everyone involved with the incident. Mayumi held her own look of shock at what just happened before her. He was good. Not only was he a charmer but he knew how to manipulate a situation in his favor.

"Good day to everyone and please be safe on your way home." Mayumi said before leaving the group but not without giving Nero one last look. Standing close to Tatsuya the brown haired boy from before started to speak.

"Don't think I owe you anything for that."

"I won't hold anything over you for it either." Tatsuya said right back to him with a small smirk.

"My name is Shun Morisaki, I'm a member of the main Morisaki branch." he said before pointing in Tatsuya's face.

"Don't think for a second that I acknowledge you, Tatsuya Shiba…" he paused before looking over to Miyuki who stood there quietly from the exchange. You could see the obvious displeasure in her face for the way he was addressing her beloved brother.

"…Ms. Shiba-san should be hanging out with us…"

"So that's how you address me and still talk about my sister?" Tatsuya asked earning a growl as the boy just started walking off with his groupies.

"Onii-sama we should head home now shouldn't we?" Miyuki finally speaking again.

"That sounds like a good idea."

"Um…" the same girl from before whom casted the flash spell came up to Tatsuya and his sister with an interesting expression if that was the right way to describe it. The girl looked to be a cross between relieved and regretful at the same exact time.

"My name is Honoka Mitsui, I'm really sorry for what happened earlier." now bowing to everyone for the trouble she has caused them all.

"I wanted to thank you for covering for me. I know what Morisaki said, but it was thanks to you that the situation didn't escalate big brother"

"You're welcome, but you don't have to call me big brother since Tatsuya is fine." Tatsuya said causing the girl to nod as she then started looking around in wonder.

"Also…" Honoka seemed to be looking for something or someone.

"Angelo-san is no longer here?" Honoka asked as everyone noticed that both Nero and Shiemi indeed seemed to have walked off without everyone else.

"That's definitely Nero for you. Always so mysterious and disappearing…makes you curious doesn't it?" Erika said teasingly to the brown haired girl who gained a small noticeable blush on her features.

"It's true. I myself can't help but wonder about him…" Honoka said aloud before realizing it. The girl then started to wave her hands dismissively while shaking her head side to side. To them she was sure it sounded like a misunderstanding.

"I-I mean lately there has been talk going around the school about Angelo-san so I was a bit curious…" Miyuki could understand where the girl was coming from if she was to be honest. She would hear things in regards to the handsome devil and it only made her wonder more and more about him. He was mostly distant with others but had the charm of royalty regardless of his status as a Stem student.

"I also wanted to thank him…" Honoka said a bit sad that she missed her chance to talk to the boy. Erika and the others seemed confused except for Tatsuya.

"Thank him? What do you mean Honoka-chan?" Erika asked with a raised brow.

"Angelo-san helped us back there Erika-san, couldn't you tell?" Honoka said as she put her hands behind her back and drew a circle in the ground with her foot. It was a cute gesture.

"Even though it didn't seem like it, Angelo-san distracted Mari-senpai from scolding us more." This new bit of information certainly surprised most of the group. So that whole little charade of his was on purpose this entire time?

"Always trying to act so tough…" Erika said with a smile as she shook her head. She knew Nero under that tough guy mask, had a kind heart. This only proved her suspicions true even more than before.

"And for that I am extremely grateful to both Shiba-san and Angelo-san." Honoka now looking back at the group as she tried to gather her courage.

"Um…" she said blush thicker than before causing Miyuki to get protective of her brother as she stepped in front of Tatsuya.

"What is it?" Miyuki asked Honoka as kindly as she could.

"Would it be ok if I walked with you all to the train station?" Honoka asked the group as Erika was already thinking about the idea in her head.

"You know Honoka-chan, if you really want to thank Nero yourself then I'm sure he couldn't have walked that far ahead of us. We could probably catch him on the way to the train station if we hurry. Is that ok?" Erika said as a smile found its way on Honoka's face.

"Yes please! I would like that very much."

* * *

Now the group was making their way down to the station together including Honoka and her friend. As they talked and discussed things about their C.A.D they noticed two familiar figures not too far ahead who looked to be engaged in conversation with a group of females.

"It's Nero-san and Shiemi-san." Miyuki said as they neared Nero's circle.

"W-well…" one of the girls said shyly as she reached in her bag while the other girls did the same. Taking out what seemed to be envelopes before walking up to Nero who had an innocent look currently on his face.

"P-please accept these\Please accept this!" They all said almost in sync, as everyone looked on in bewilderment. What in the world did they just walk into? Nero of course not being accustomed to Japanese culture took each one earning a loud gasp from Erika and Miyuki as they looked at him with shock. The girls now running off as the group just looked at Nero who held all the letters in his hands.

Nero noticed the new group approaching him as he turned to see most of their baffled looks.

"What?"

"Nero…do you even realized what you accepted?" Tatsuya asked him with mild amusement. He had to admit, Nero was a lady killer for sure.

"You just…" Tatsuya was about to say but was cut off by Erika.

"Accepted their undying love for you. Those where love letters!" The redhead said sounding like she was excited to torment him for it. Shiemi was a bit put off by the whole thing. They were all over Nero and it made her a feel a bit uneasy.

"Except for the fact that they're not." he said casually as he turned the letters around to show everyone it says 'thank you very much' on the front. Excitement gone and replaced with confusion, Erika grabs one from his hand and looks at the front herself.

"Open it…" Nero says to her while leaning against the wall near him with folded arms. So doing just that Erika sees at the top 'Thanks for saving us' and go figure by the nickname they gave him…'Prince-san'.

"Thank you so much for helping us the other day. If it was not for you those thugs could have done anything to us. My family owns a chocolate shop named "Fujika Sweets" so please stop by whenever you can." Erika read as everyone gathered around in wonder.

"Well I'll be…" Leo said coming over a patting Nero on the back.

Mizuki did not expect anything less from the white haired male as she wore a smile. Miyuki also had a smile, even though Nero seemed intimidating, he was really sweet and seemed kind. The Shiba sister didn't realize how long she was staring at the boy. Erika was still looking at the letter in her hand for a few more seconds before a disappointed look came onto her face.

"Well, this is no fun. I was hoping to get some type of gossip out of this."

"I'm starting to think you want my life to be miserable…" Nero said as he slowly started walking past everyone. However, he was suddenly stopped once he felt something holding him in place. Nero looked to see what it was and found Erika giving him a small smirk.

"Nero, not so fast. You have someone who wants to talk with you." Erika said cheekily as she turned around a pointed to Honoka and her friend. Honoka was blushing madly as Erika suddenly put her in the spotlight. Miyuki quietly watched as she looked on from the side. The girl didn't know why, but something didn't feel right. It's not like she cared about who the boy talked too necessarily, but maybe her curiosity of who Nero was slowly made her somewhat obsessive over him? That's Impossible. Even Shiemi knew what he was trying to do at that time but decided to keep quiet. After being around him and viewing his 'tough love' personally up close, the blonde had a feeling that he had good intentions. After all, this was the person she respected the most. She couldn't explain why but just being around Nero made the girl want to grow more as a better person. The girl felt that if it was with him then there would be nothing she couldn't really do…or that is what she believed.

"…" Miyuki didn't quite understand. She felt something within her as she started moving closer to her brother hoping that his presence will help to ease her concern. Tatsuya did not really mind, but he did notice Miyuki acting strangely from the exchange. He looked down to see his sister's attention on Honoka and Nero as her grip on him slowly increased over time.

"_What's gotten into her?" _That's the thing; she didn't know what she was feeling. Only confusion and uncertainty filled her emotions.

Honoka was contemplating in her head how she should express her gratitude towards him. She was fidgeting with her hands as she looked down at them in nervousness. This was a lot harder than she thought. Taking a deep breath she slowly looks up at Nero as the boy seemed so relaxed. He was staring straight at her.

"M-my name is Honoka Mitsui. Truthfully, I wanted to thank you for helping us out earlier Angelo-san. Because of you and Shiba-san, Mari-senpai didn't continue to scold us back at school. I-I am very grateful and I'm sorry for causing you any trouble!" The flushed girl said bowing her head politely. Nero's features didn't change as he looked at the bowing girl before him. Closing his eyes he sighs to himself, softly waving it off as if it he didn't have any idea what she was talking about.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about. It was only a coincidence that happened back there. My only intention was to go home peacefully, so I'm not sure if I'm the one who truly deserves your thanks." Nero said bringing his hand back to his side. Honoka however, looked back up at him with a soft expression. She knew, even if he didn't want to take credit for any of it, she knew.

"Angelo-san, there is no mistaking it. I could just feel that you had good intentions within your actions." Honoka now bowing her head once again.

"Thank you." Nero's eyes slowly opened in surprise. This isn't the first time someone has said something like that to him since he has been there. People could somehow feel he had a good heart despite his behavior. Nero stared at the girl for what seemed like forever before closing his eyes once more. He turned around so his back was facing everyone and brought his hand up to his head as he gently rustles his hair with a heavy sigh.

"Just…make sure you stay out of trouble next time…" Nero said in a surprisingly soft voice before he slowly started to walk off again. Honoka took Nero's way of accepting her apology with happiness. Somehow she felt that maybe this was the only way Nero knew how to show his kindness to others? That part of him to her was kind of cool.

"I promise…Angelo-san." Everyone watched the exchange in silence. Miyuki could only stare at the back of the retreating boy. Her eye's held a soft gaze within them as she remembered the expression Nero had made while he talked with Honoka. Miyuki could see some of the boy's true nature leaking through even though he disguises it so well. There was just something about Nero that made her unexpectedly drawn to him. There was a long list of things if she was truthful with herself. His looks, charm, charisma, confidence, etc…It was all appealing. Nero Angelo was someone she wished she could eventually understand.

"Hey Nero, wait up will you?" Erika called out as she started to jog after the boy. Everyone else seemed to follow behind the two at their own pace. As Miyuki walked next to her brother she looked down in deep thought. Maybe she could try talking to him herself? Everyone else seemed to engage with the handsome boy but her. Thoughts roaming through her head, one after another, only filling her brain with more and more questions. This was the first time that Miyuki Shiba could say she found some form of interest in any male besides her brother Tatsuya. Interest did not necessarily mean affection per say, but the boy did captivate her curiosity. Tatsuya looked over to see Miyuki deep in thought again like she was before. He knew her usual tendencies, so seeing her like this made him wonder.

"Miyuki, is everything alright?" The voice of her brother seemed to knock her out of her thoughts. Miyuki looked at her brother with a beautiful smile as she tried to reassure him the best that she could.

"Yes Onii-sama." Miyuki said happily before her vision slowly went back to the walking form of Nero.

"I'm fine…" She says softly as Tatsuya looks at her gaining a small smirk on his face. Maybe he was worrying for nothing it would seem. However, Miyuki wasn't the only one to observe the red and white headed teens. A soft pair of dazzling green eyes found themselves in the direction of the two. Even though Mizuki and Leo were trying to converse with Shiemi her attention was elsewhere entirely.

* * *

Later that night Nero was on the phone with Kyrie and telling her about his time so far there in Japan. Nero couldn't quite explain it but he could feel something was off in the air. Trusting his instincts he tells Kyrie he will talk to her later as he grabs his hunter gear. Grabbing Blue Rose and placing it in the holster inside his purple coat, he opens his apartment balcony door before jumping off five stories landing gracefully on the ground. He could feel it…the foul aura in the air. Something was definitely going on tonight and he would get to the bottom of it.

Following the feeling he had, Nero came to an abandoned warehouse miles away from his apartment. He swiftly jumped to the top of the building noticing it had a skylight roof. It allowed Nero to look down and get a good look inside. But what he saw made his face turn…

Inside were four male looking figures that seemed to be abducting a girl and her mother while the husband lay on the ground beheaded.

"No…please take me! Don't hurt my daughter. I'll do anything I swear!" the mother pleading in panic while the other males were about to unzip their pants.

"Don't worry, you won't be the only one because she'll get it just like mommy." a sick freak said earning laughs from the others with him.

Nero was pissed. Turning around while picking up some of the rocks on the roof he expertly aims before flicking each person that was about to hurt the women in the knees causing their knee ligaments to explode.

"GAHHHHHHHHAAAH!" They all yelled as the sound of the rocks hitting their ligaments made it seem as if they were hit with a 50-caliber sniper rifle.

Nero jumped down taking out blue rose and holding it against the male that threatened the mother. The look in Nero's eyes was unreadable yet fierce.

"Hurry up and turn so I can kill every last one of you." Nero said to the person who even though in pain, looked shocked. Were they found out already? Just who in the world was this guy?

"H-how…*pant* …how di**d you know?"** the man asked as his shifted into his demon form and so did the others whose wounds slowly healed.

Nero continued to aim Blue Rose for a couple more seconds before bringing his hand down turning to the girl and mother.

"You need to get out of here, I don't want any of you to see what will happen here" Nero said softly helping to reassure them both as the mom nodded before looking at their late husband one last time until this was over.

"**You bastard! You are so dead! How dare you even think you can show your face around here after hurting us pretty boy?" **one said as they circled and closed him in.

"**Do you have any idea what a big mistake you made?" **the leader of the group asked as he flexed his clawed hand in hopes to intimidate Nero. Nero just placed his gun back in his coat before an unimaginable pressure filled the room making all the demons around hit the ground and hard.

"**GAAHH! WHA-WHAT IS THIS!?"**

"**I-I'M BEING CRUSHED!"**

"**P-PLEASE…"** The demons did not understand what was happening to them. One second they were ready to pounce on the white haired teen before them, then the next their bones were being tuned into chalk dust. Nero was using his gravity manipulation as the ground in the warehouse started to sink deeper and deeper as the pressure increased. Nero looked down at them coldly as one of his eyes were glowing a crimson red in anger. No way would he forgive scum like this. He would make sure they paid the ultimate price for their sins…their lives. The floor of the warhouse could only take so much punishment before it gave out and then formed a huge endless sized hole fifty feet wide. The hole looked bottomless… as darkness could be seen no matter how far you looked into it. No screams or cries for help could be heard.

Nero turning to the dead man's body noticed something strange about it as he kneeled down inspecting it a bit more. There was a small light in his pants pocket. Reaching for it, Nero pulls out a cell phone type of device that was on record. Well that was a bit strange...why what could he have been recording before he was killed? Pressing the replay button he hears the voice of what sounded like the woman he saved earlier in the background.

"Come out, come out wherever you are~"

"W-whoever receives this message, there is this crazy woman and a little girl following me. Someone please help me. I'm at the…wait whaggh…." A man said now sounding like he was being chocked

"Don't' struggle, this is all for the cause of our great lord** IGNUS**" this shocked Nero after hearing those words. She just said Ignus didn't she? That's not good. How does she know about him unless…

"W-wait…please I have a wife and kids…don't do this! PLEASSSEEE!" then the recording ended.

Nero decided to destroy the device so no one could hear what was said.

"I'm getting rusty around here…" Nero said in a cold tone before getting back up walking outside to see the woman who held a look of shock on her face before quickly fixing it to normal.

"I'm so glad you made it out alive. You saved me and my daughter's lives." she spoke while Nero walked up to her with a smile on his face.

"I do my best…especially when it comes to killing demon scum like you." saying the last part sourly as he pressed the re-drawn Blue Rose to the woman's head who had the look of utter shock on her face once again.

"I bet you were counting on me dying in there huh?" Nero asked grinding it against her forehead as her daughter seemed emotionless.

"She's a Soulless Mimic isn't she? I noticed something was off about her when she didn't make a peep in the warehouse. Even a little girl knows when she's scared." This caused the shocked face of the women to turn into a frown.

"**You know too much to be a mere human…"** now speaking in her demonic voice, she looked at Nero annoyed.

"And you know too little about us devil hunters…dumbass." Nero retorted making the women scoff.

"**I should have killed you myself when I had the chance but you looked so handsome. I didn't want to ruin that pretty face of yours."** she mocked causing Nero to scoff back at her.

"Please, by all means don't do me any favors…"

"**It won't matter even if you kill me. Our Lord Ignus will rise again and there's nothing you can do to stop him. The death and destruction he will bring to this filthy planet. The screams and torture of these lowly human incsects will know true despair before they die!"** She said grinning at the devil hunter who just looked unfazed.

"Seriously, I swear every last one of you say something similar to that, but it never goes your way. Why don't you try not saying those lines out loud and maybe you might get somewhere…" Nero said causing her to growl.

"**You have no idea do you? Once master is reborn no one can stop him not even the defiled kin of Sparda!"**

"Hmmm, I heard of them before…but let's just forget about that for now…" now pulling back the firearm, Nero notices her opening her mouth. If she was to strike now would be a good time while his guard was down! Arms growing into large bladed weapons ready to swing at the half demon who comically dodged to the side. Her attempt to take a bite out of his neck was also unfruitful.

"Whoa…can't have you doing that now can I? But you could at least aim for my face next time. I might be able to get a handsome scare to show off." Nero goofed around. The Demon snarled at his cocky remark and went back on the offensive.

"**Stand still you bastard!**" Jumping at the boy he performs a no handed back flip over her slicing attack before landing gracefully. Damn it, he was playing around with her.

"Here's a bit of advice, we aren't in an anime dumbass. Stop yelling in frustration before trying to hit me and you might get somewhere. Of course Nero was lying. Whether she did or not wouldn't have mattered. He would have just avoided it regardless but it didn't hurt messing with her.

"**You cocky half-breed!**"

"Confident…actually." Nero corrected her with a closed eyed smirk shrugging his shoulders. His witty attitude was something demons could not stand.

"**I've had about enough of you!**" Running towards the boy again her bladed arms start to stretch and turn into bladed whips of some sort. It was pretty amusing to see.

"**HAAHH!**" Rapidly slashing at Nero who repeatedly dodged attack after attack. Grabbing one of her arms in mid-swing mad the female demon widen her eyes in shock.

"**I-impossi**…" She was cut off as Nero casually used his arm strength to lift and slam her into the ground.

"**GAH!**" Blood shooting from her mouth from the impact made it clear it was a painful landing. Nero slowly made his way over to the downed form of the demon who saw the figure of the young male standing over her. Just seeing the look on her face made it obvious to him that she was afraid.

"**Y-you monster.**" She realized just how helpless she was against a kin of Sparda. They're strength was just too great.

"That's the last thing I would want to hear from someone like you." Nero casually pulled out his Blue Rose once again, pointing it at her downed figure.

"**If you kill me then they will come looking for you.**" Nero raised his brow at this.

"Who will come looking for me?" A weak smirk appeared on the female demons face.

"**The six generals of Lord Ignus…The Dark Six."**

"The Dark Six?"

"**Don't get all high and mighty just because you defeated me! The six general's powers are worlds apart compared to my own. I am but a pawn…boy. A single general could wipe all of human life off the face of the earth." **Well that's not good. If what she says is true than that could be a problem down the road. But oh well.

"Good. Bring them on. It was getting boring around here anyway. I was wondering when things were going to liven up out here." Did he not hear what she just said?

"**A-are you mad?" **

"No. I just know what I have to do. All I have to do is win right? It's quite simple logic." This guy…she couldn't let someone like him live. He was indeed powerful.

Noticing his guard was down she opens her mouth wide **"DIE!"** A needle shaped projectile shot out with great speed. The needle looked to almost penetrate Nero's skull before it was repelled back as it entered her own head with twice the force.

"**Gahh…"** Eyes rolling in the back of her head as she laid there lifeless. Nero only shook his head from her actions as he holstered hid gun. He could tell that was a poisoned needle as well.

"Dumbass…I'm immune to poison…" He slowly looks to the soulless girl who looks no older than five years of age. Moving to touch the girl a sudden light appears blinding his vision. There before Nero the small girl was…changing. As the light dimmed down Nero could see the same small girl with the white dress and bare feet. But her appearance was completely different. She now looked European with white long hair that went to her back and blue eyes. All in all, she looked exactly how Nero would look if he was a five year old girl.

"What the hell?" Nero asked astonished of what just happened only to see the soulless girl move up to him and grab his pant leg while still looking straight ahead, like this was a normal everyday thing.

"Oh, no-no-no-no~" Nero now slapping his forehead repeatedly from the bizarre outcome this night brought him. The little girl still cutely holding onto his pant leg, staring ahead as if she was waiting to leave.

"Dammit, come on…" Nero whispered scooping her up before leaping from the warehouse heading back home.

* * *

"Dante, I'm telling you she just suddenly turned into a little sister lookalike!"

"No kidding kid? Well, you are in tough shit now. A mimic usually only takes after who they feel comfortable around and that seems to be you in her case." Dante said while Flipping through his magazine on the other end of the phone like things of this nature happed all the time.

"Don't give me that sh…crap." Nero said pausing while looking to see if the girl heard his slip up, she was only five after all.

"Look, you need to help me out here. I don't know what to do!"

"Hate to tell you this but she's stuck to you. But look at the bright side…a soulless will put out what you put in. And by the way you described her, whoever had her before you probably never gave her the time of day."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning she will learn fast, you teach her how to survive like any normal person. She's pretty much and infant in development. Oh, word of the wise, make sure you use ABC Mouse." on the other end you can hear Dante laughing it up. Now hanging up forcefully Nero just gained another headache.

Walking to the couch and sitting next to the girl who seemed into the little cartoons on TV, he picked up the remote to turn the channel. Switching it to the sports channel, he then set the remote back down. Now starting to relax only two seconds later…right back to the cartoons. Looking down he finds the remote in the middle where he left it so picking it up he switches back before putting it back down.

Again, the channel reverts, so now he looks over to the girl narrowing his eyes a bit while she looks over narrowing her eyes at him.

"_She's good._"

Now shaking her head and pointing at him.

"Onii-san no TV." Nero was shocked.

"This…isn't happening…" he said baffled.

Now getting up to turn the sound all the way down he sits on the living room table to block her view.

"My name is Nero ok?" the girl just sat there staring at him.

"Neerro." she slowly said causing him to smile as if he scored an A on the semester finals.

"Yes! My name is Nero Angelo…now what is your name?" he asked.

"Naaame?" she said not understanding but copying.

"No…who are you?" he said pointing to her as she looked at her own pointer finger before pointing to him.

"Uhh!" getting frustrated he puts his face in his hands.

"Onii-san." she said cutely still pointing to him as he looked up at her before sighing softly to himself.

"How about we give you a name then?" he said causing the girl to stare once again. Nero at first was wondering what to call the girl but he remembered something special to him. When he was an orphan and before he found out who he truly was…he was raised as family with Kyrie. Kyrie, her parents and Credo her brother, were all important to him. A small smile graced his lips as he thought of his adoptive mother. She was kind and beautiful woman.

"I'll call you Elena." Something about giving the girl his mother's name felt…right. Nero didn't even care about the TV anymore he knew he had to get up for school in the morning so he let the girl have it back. She was watching a Japanese show with kids hanging out with their sisters and brothers.

"Onee-san" they said for the sister, "Onii-san" for the brother. The little kids talking as Elena was absorbing it like a sponge. Nero on the other hand had to make a quick call to someone .

"Hello…yeah…I need a favor…yea, well something happened tonight…yea…I'll tell you everything tomorrow morning when I see you…yea…alright..bye." Now slumping down on the couch again he sighs as he turns to see that Elena fell asleep sitting up.

"That girl…" he said not noticing the smirk on his face. Nero got up placing his big coat on her for cover as he laid on the other end of the couch since he was too tired to get in bed.

"Night…Elena."

Morning came and Nero was blinded by the sun light having to cover his eyes.

"Oh yeah, I forgot I have school today…" weakly trying to sit up only to feel added weight on his chest. Looking down he sees the cute sleeping form of Elena who somehow moved to him overnight. Nero trying to skillfully slide from under her started to shake around. She felt his shuffling as it ended up causing her to wake up.

"Onii-san…" she whispered while yawning right after causing him to sigh in defeat before rubbing the top of her head tenderly.

"It's times like this where we say good morning Elena."

"Goood Moorrnningg." she pronounced it as best she could causing Nero to turn his head to the side. Ok she was pretty adorable.

"When you see people just like Onii-san you should always say hello ok?" Nero asked her getting a stare again.

"Ok maybe you should nod or say ok when you understand me?" he said as the little girl got up before walking a few steps.

"Bbaathroomm…" and that's all she had to say because Nero dashed to her while helping her to the toilet

"This is going to be a long day…"

* * *

Morning now came and the Shiba household was heading for Yakumo's for Tatsuya's morning training before heading to school.

"Onii-sama do you want me to slow down for you?" Miyuki asked her brother who was running next top her while she was on her scooter.

"No, don't let me slow you down Miyuki" he said as they

Now almost halfway there Miyuki swore she saw Nero go into a girl's clothing store.

"_That…couldn't have been…" _Miyuki thought to herself before continuing on with Tatsuya toward Yakumo's place.

* * *

"Awww, she's adorable! Just like her handsome big brother. Aren't you both the cutest pair together!" The store clerk said as Nero bought Elena some things. Especially shoes some new clothes.

"Please come by again…cutie." she said winking at Nero who closed his eyes and sighed to himself again.

"That's the last store, now I got to head over to Yakumo's." he said as Elena was holding his free hand as the bags where in his other.

She also was changed into some new clothes he bought her. She had a cute silver hair clip like Mayumi with a black sundress, white socks and black shoes.

"Omg! Look how cute they are!" Nero continued to hear. It was ok at first, but now it got kind of old.

"Ok, time for a shortcut." now picking Elena up he uses his superhuman speed to make it to Yakumo's quicker not even knowing Elena was smiling enjoying the ride. Now reaching the temple, Nero walks up the steps to see the bald man waiting for him before spotting the little girl.

"Well I'll be, she's the splitting image of you Nero." Yakumo said waving at the little girl who suddenly hid behind Nero's leg.

"Aww…don't dump me on the first date young lady." Yakumo teased before looking at Nero who motioned he wanted to talk.

"Alright everyone please watch over Nero's sister carefully" Yakumo entrusted the others who bowed showing they understood.

"Yes, sensei!"

Now telling Yakumo what happened he gained a more serious face while actually opening his eyes.

"So they're at it again trying to revive Ignus? These guys are consistent."

"You could say that." Nero said before yawning a bit.

* * *

Now making it to the temple, Tatsuya and Miyuki enter through the doors finding the monks having their normal morning training.

Tatsuya now walking to the center gaining their attention, while Miyuki stayed behind to watch her brother practice from a distance.

Quietly waiting, she was thinking many things in her head. One being what happened between Nero and Honoka yesterday.

"_It's strange…I can't stop replaying that scene in my head. No matter how much I try to forget it, it just keeps coming back…" _Miyuki said convincing herself in some way that the event didn't bother her. Her eyes, even though in the direction of her brother seemed so , something grabbed at Miyuki's school dress catching the girl off guard. Miyuki jolts in surprise as she quickly looks down into the most adorable blue eyes she has ever seen in her life.

"Onee-san." Miyuki's heart rate spiked. D-did this little one just call her "sister?"

"K-kawaii…" Miyuki knew it was strange for a random little girl to be at Yakumo's temple of all places. She had to be lost. Her family could be worried sick looking for her at that moment. Miyuki felt she had to make sure the little one got back to her siblings safely.

"Little one, my name is Miyuki…what's your name?" Miyuki asked the young girl kindly as she tried to give her a reassuring smile.

"Elena…" the girl said cutely as Miyuki's smile grew larger. Miyuki gently grabbed the girls little hand as she looked into her eyes.

"Elena…that is a beautiful name."

"Uh-huh." Elena agreeing with Miyuki as she nodded.

"Elena sweety, are you lost? Do you need me to help you find your family?" Miyuki asked Elena who shook her head negatively.

"Onii-san is here." Her brother? This bit of information caused the Shiba princess to process little Elena's words. But now actually thinking about it, Miyuki takes a good look at the girl who is obviously a foreigner. Elena had… snow white hair…white hair…wait!

"White hair, blue eyes, European features…just like someone…" Miyuki whispered to herself as Tatsuya finished with the monks and turned to see his sister with a small girl.

"Miyuki, who is that?" Tatsuya asked walking over before taking in Elena's features. The girl however hid behind Miyuki performing a shy gesture as she dug her face in the Shiba sister's leg. Tatsuya could only give the small girl a little smile from her response to his approach. Miyuki's cheeks lit up pink once again…t-that was adorable!

The sound of footsteps nearing the siblings caused them to turn their attention towards it.

"Onii-san!" the little girl said as she saw Nero and Yakumo returning from their chat.

"Elena…" he said softly, and then he saw Miyuki holding her hand as they made eye contact.

"Look Onii-san." the girl said before pointing up to Miyuki.

"Its Onee-san." she stated causing Miyuki to blush while both Tatsuya and Nero looked shocked.

"E-Elena-chan…where did you get that idea from?" Miyuki asked flustered as her eyes looked up at Nero knowing her face was probably heating up out of embarrassment.

"Onii-san and Onee-san." She said reaching for Nero's hand. This was all happening so fast!

"Nero? What is going on Yakumo-sensei?" Tatsuya asked eyeing the situation carefully. After all this was very strange finding the foreign student at his sensei's temple.

"Nothing really, all you need to know is that Nero's uncle and I go way back. I guess you could say that I'm a family friend to this one here. Do make sure he stays out of trouble will you?" Yakumo jabbing his thumb in Nero's direction. The Boy as always had his eyes closed but you could see it slightly twitch in annoyance.

"Shut up…" Nero lazily said bringing his hand up and running it through his hair. This guy was always messing with him. Tatsuya and Miyuki held shocked looks on their faces. Nero wasn't just some random student but someone Yakumo knew himself. This was definitely a new bit of information for both Tatsuya and his sister. Miyuki has just found out another piece to completing the puzzle known as Nero Angelo. What were the odds of an event like this happening? Wait…did that mean he would be around Yakumo's temple more often?

"Shouldn't you guys be on your way to school?" The bald ninja said as he reminded them changing the subject.

"Yeah, you're right…" Nero now kneeling down to the girl and rubbing the top of her head gently.

"Elena, I promise I'll be back after school ok? So try to be on your best behavior while I'm gone." Nero said softly gaining a cute "ok" from the girl. Miyuki was quietly watching the scene not realizing her blush slowly returned to her face. This was a side of Nero she has never seen before. In her eyes, Miyuki saw the Nero before her as a loving older brother who cared deeply for his younger sister. Elena was someone he did not have to hide his emotions from. It was…nice and comporting to view this side of the boy.

Now standing up, Nero turns around and starts walking off leaving the group behind. You could hear Elena calling out to him as he just raised his hand over his head to wave his goodbyes. Miyuki continued to look at Nero's back as he walked further away. A small smile graced her face from his actions. Nero was something else. Miyuki feels that she might finally be able to understand why a part of her can't help but be drawn to the white haired male.

Now leaving with her brother, Miyuki waved to Elena one last time getting her to gently wave back. Miyuki's face heated up again at the cute gesture before looking back in Nero's direction in wonder. A thought crossed her mind thinking about what just happened. If Nero was Elena's brother and she was her supposed sister, then what in the world did that mean? Miyuki knew that she barley talked to Nero. She wanted to have a conversation with him like the others usually did but she was always running into an obstacle. Miyuki and the group were almost to the school. If they were walking to school she felt that she might as well at least try to know a bit more about him, so Miyuki took this opportunity to make her way to Nero's side to keep pace with the boy.

"Nero-san?" Miyuki speaks out as she looked at the boy from the side.

"What is it?"

"Yakumo-sensei said that he knew your uncle. Who is he exactly?" Miyuki asked as she saw Nero look down at her with a raised brow.

"It wouldn't be that much of a secret if I told you now would it…Miyuki?" This caused the girl to pout at him as she eyed him from the side. It would seem that he was messing around with her. That was something else she noticed about Nero. The boy had a serious yet joking personality that made him hard to read. When he is around Erika, they would always lighten the mood within the group. The way they would go back and forth with one another, you would think the two of them were a married couple.

"Tatsuya-san, Miyuki-san!" A familiar voice called out interrupting Miyuki. She felt that she would never get a proper chance to talk with Nero. Something or someone always got in the way. Almost like the world was telling her she'd never find out anything else about him. Miyuki only closed her eyes and sighed softly to herself in defeat. Wait? Did she just pull a Nero? Was he rubbing off on her?

Turning to the voice they see Mayumi running towards them while waving their way.

"Mayumi-san." both Tatsuya and Miyuki said while Nero just watched as the girl approached also looking his way.

"Oh…Angelo-san, what a pleasant surprise seeing you around. This must be a fateful day indeed…" Mayumi still wearing her forced closed eye smile.

"It's good to see you too…president…" Nero said lazily causing the girl to frown before stalking up to him. She just didn't understand why he was like that towards her. Out of all the males she has encountered in her lifetime, Nero was one that purposely tried to distance himself from her. Was there something about her that he didn't like? She didn't want to admit it…but it was driving her a bit crazy.

"You know what? I was letting it slide before, but now I can't take it anymore!" Hands on her hips as she looked up into his eyes.

"What's your deal anyway? Why is it that out of everyone, you won't talk to me?" Maymui asked now poking at his stomach. She was so much shorter than he was that it was the only thing she could do. Earning a sigh from the devil, he gently knocks Mayumi's hand away from his stomach.

"You know president…I really wonder why you care so much about what I think of you?" Nero says as he returns her deep stare. Nero slowly brought his hand up, moving some of the girl's hair out of the way before softly placing his hand on her right cheek. The action caused Mayumi's face to heat up as he stared into her eyes.

"What…are you…"

"This is what you wanted isn't it…for me to notice you? Mayumi, if that was the case then I would be an idiot not notice a woman as beautiful as you. I have my reasons as much as you do…" Nero stated, closing his eyes as a small barely seen smirk appeared on his features. Slowly dropping his hand back down to his side, Nero just turned around and continued to walk off making his way towards the direction of the school building. Mayumi was stuck trying to process what just happened to her. Her mouth was left slightly agape while her flustered face was as bright as ever.

"T-that barbarian…" Mayumi lightly stomped her foot as she cutely pouted in obvious embarrassment. Tatsuya couldn't deny that Nero was without a doubt, good at this kind of thing. Miyuki wore a barely noticeable frown at this gesture and her brother Tatsuya did not miss it. Miyuki was unsure about the exchange, but she knew Nero was only teasing the girl. Still, it looked so real for a second that…wait, why did she even care?

"I think we should start heading to school before we are deemed late wouldn't you both agree?" Tatsuya said aloud gaining both his sister and Mayumi's attention.

"You're right Onii-sama, we shouldn't be late…" Miyuki stated before a still flustered Mayumi and the group started following behind Nero in the direction of the school. Miyuki sent the male sneaky glances every once in a while on the way there while she was talking with her brother and Mayumi.

As the group finally made it to school they found Erika, Mizuki, Honoka, her best friend and Shiemi talking near the front entrance. Erika noticing them turns and looks at the group before spotting the head of white hair she was looking for.

"Hey Nero, Tatsuya, want to walk to class with us?" She asked as all five girls approached the group to say their morning greetings.

"I actually have a choice?" Nero asked with a teasing raised brow.

"No…not really." Erika said in a matter of fact tone causing the boy to sigh deeply. Tatsuya on the other hand had to give the girl a regretful smile.

"Sorry Erika, but that's not possible right now. Me and Miyuki need to visit president Mayumi's council room this morning." Erika just nodded in understanding. Not like it was any sweat off her back.

"Maybe next time then?" Shiemi asked gaining a nod from the siblings.

"Yea…we'll see you later Miyuki, Tatsuya!" Erika said as they waved to each other before splitting up. Honoka and her friend also leaving to go to their class but not without saying their goodbyes as well. Miyuki looked in their direction before a hand touched her shoulder softly.

"Miyuki…it will be alright, let's go." Tatsuya said as he followed Mayumi toward her head quarters.

"Ok, Onii-sama…" Miyuki said as she took one last glance in the white devil's direction before catching up with her brother.

* * *

_**Chapter End**_

_**Yayy! Ok this was a fic I just had to do, I love Nero and I think Miyuki is so cute**_

_**For all those wondering, yes Nero's ability is Accelerators from (To Aru Majustu no Index)**_

_**Also I hope you like the new uniforms and class I made (Stems) I thought to make this because Even though Blooms are better than Weeds each have Stems that are beneath them. But Stems should not be underestimated because beautiful flowers to even ugly weeds need the support of a strong stem to keep them stable. I thought of that pretty cool huh?**_

_**I actually don't know why I had Nero ignore Mayumi in the beginning since I think she is a pretty cool character but yeah…**_

_**Shiemi moriyama is from (Ao no Exorcist) and is Nero's classmate and friend.**_

_**Tsukuyomi Komoe is from (To Aru Majutsu no Index) and is Nero's homeroom teacher.**_

_**Elena is a Oc I just winged for the story but she will be really important later so don't worry, if anyone knows my writing I have a reason for everything I do.**_

_**Again, I thank you all for reading my stories, I love you guys and hope life is treating you well.**_

_**Until next time.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Opening**

OK! That was my opening that I made, to get the full affect of it please listen to the song while you read. I also put the time zones in the opening to tell you which sound starts where.

If you can Listen while you read!

PS the full song is amazing, my favorite song actually, but it would take too long to make and opening for the full song lol.

**(The Truth: Uverworld)**

Chapter 2

(One of Us)

* * *

The events of late appeared to have started escalating rapidly and our white haired devil was not the only one who noticed something going on. Currently at the Yotsuba residence, a very uneasy informant stalked their way to the main room of the mansion.

"I bring important news!" the speaker said, dressed in a black tuxedo with shades to match. The appearance was one that was usually associated with undercover FBI or CIA agents. One would think if it was not one of those to options then the third would be along the lines of a family mafia.

"Speak! What do you know?" a soft yet pleasant feminine voice spoke. It was unquestionably one that was pleasing to the ears but also held power behind it almost demanding respect from everyone around her.

"My lady, we have found there to be more strange activity that occurred near the Takomo warehouse. Our teams have been investigating and have been told that strange earthquakes were repeatedly occurring around the area." The speaker said as the woman brought her mug back up to her thin lips and took a small sip of her tea.

"Hmm, was this the work of a supernatural being?" she asked calmly. This must not have been the first time that something similar to this situation has occurred before. She has had her suspicions about the recent activity happening across Japan but this new bit of information has proved her suspicions correct. It was something she has tried her best to keep an eye on thanks to past experiences with the unknown and even now was no different. Such beings roaming the earthly plain made her fear for what was to come in the near future. If things were to become anything like it was in her youth, then she had every right to be a little bit fearful. There were things in the world that was far beyond human understanding and the fact that these abominations could blend in so easily with society made it vastly more difficult to identify them. Whether it be a demon, angel, God or Devil, it didn't change the fact that she needed a way to keep them under control if things were to escalate out of proportion.

"We aren't sure milady but what we can say for certain is that someone not too far from that location saw a strange light that caught their attention. They said that once close enough to see what it was, they came across what looked to be a white haired male." the messenger finished his explanation. That was an unexpected bit of news. The woman's hand twitched making some of her tea spilt on the floor. If what he said is true then there was a possibility that it could be…

"I-is this true? When was this information given?" She asked hastily as she strangely wore the face of hope or could even be mistake for that of pure relief. There was a possibility that it was him. Ever since she was placed in an arranged marriage, the only person she could think of was the white haired man clad in red.

"Well, we have…" but the man was cut off by another person who decided to run in the room.

"Milady, we have been given a picture of the white haired male. Although his face isn't very clear I think you'd want to see this." The women rose from her chair to stand, holding out her hand in anticipation. Finally, a lead to the possible whereabouts of her old…friend.

"Bring it to me. I need to confirm something." she demanded. This was something she dreamed of. Night after night, wondering if he was alright after all this time. Sleepless and desperate, she wanted nothing more than to see him again. A burning ache in her heart was left there after they've been separated for so long. There were times when she would only close her eyes, tired and fatigued but his face would pop into her mind, bringing back all of her emotions from the past. Love isn't supposed to hurt but every time she thought about him her heart was pained.

"Yes, Maya-sama." Maya was an extremely beautiful woman with her long dark violet hair and violet eyes, cream colored soft skin and lushes lips. Her bodies' curves were the shape of an hourglass as her dress hugged her figure tightly. She was without a doubt a person most men would dream about but because of her powerful status among the families, most of the men around her were far too terrified to even dare try anything. There was also the fact that she was a married woman. Though it was a marriage she only went through with because it promised her the man power to have control of her own fate. Never again will she let the things happen to her like they did in the past. Not to her or even her beloved niece and nephew. She would admit that she used them from time to time but it was for the overall greater good of the world that she envisioned. People may have or still view her as a villainess but to Maya herself, she was the hero of her own story. There were just some things that had to be done for the greater good, no matter the cost. Handing her the photo of said male, her cheeks flushed but it was for many different reasons. But then she realized something was a bit different in regards to the person in the picture.

"This can't be you after all these years can it…Dante? How long have I waited to see you again." She said shaking her head. There was just no way that this could still be him. Sure she knew about his demonic heritage but the boy in the picture looked no older than eighteen years of age at most.

"It can't be, that was at least twenty years ago. Then who could…" she whispered before her eyes slowly started to widen. Dante's image started covering Nero's in the photo as she now remembered someone close to her from a long time ago

"This boy…there's no mistaking it. He's the son of Ter…"

* * *

Dante was now at his shop finishing up on tuning his dual pistols Ebony and Ivory while accompanied by a blonde haired vixen. The two of them looked to be doing their own things around the shop. It was obvious that there was a thickness in the air and for one reason or another, no one was willing to speak to the other first.

"Dante" Trish finally broke the awkward silence as she looked up from her magazine, placing it down and walking toward his newly bought desk thanks to Nero's…disagreement.

"What's up?"

"Why haven't you ever told Nero yet?" she asked with mild seriousness as she folded her arms under her bust, leaning on his desk. This question made Dante release a heavy sigh. Scratching his head and placing his Ebony pistol down against the hard tabletop he looked up to the woman knowing to prepare himself for whatever she had to say next. The normally goofy and childish older man gained a serious expression across his features, pondering in his mind exactly what he could tell her. He knew that excuses especially right now would never work on Trish. She knew better than to fall for such half-assed explanations.

"Because I didn't think he was ready to know yet. After all, there are just some things that are better left unsaid."

"But he deserves to know regardless even if you think he isn't. I know he was an orphan because of certain circumstances but you can't leave him in the dark about it forever Dante. Trust me, its better you tell him yourself than for him to find out some other way." Trish had a point and Dante knew it.

"Yeah…I sometimes think about that too." Dante ran a hand through his hair, sitting up straight. There was a time and a place for everything and he was reluctant to tell Nero because of the way his father ended up. His brother was someone that no matter how much he said he hated him at first, he was his brother. Deep down Dante felt closer to him than anyone else in the world despite their differences between another. Usually he would never admit it to anyone but he really did wish that he and Vergil could have grown up like normal brother could have. Knowing there upbringing and the paths they decided to walk down made it all the more difficult for that to become a reality. If things didn't turn out the way they did…would he feel so lonely? Would Nero have grown up the way he did? Almost every day there was a question in his head that made him wonder how it would be if things were different.

"He should know about his father." Trish said trying to have Dante find it in himself to go through with it. Her words however, only increased the devils inner guilt about the whole situation. Dante looked to be deep in thought as he listened to Trish's words and played them back in his head.

"I would have said something to him myself but it wasn't my place to do so. That means that it's your time to step up and be that person." She finished causing Dante get out of his chair to stand up. He slowly walked over to a picture frame that sat on a small counter near his pool table. Picking it up into his hand the man looked at the picture that held himself, Trish, Lady, Lucia and Nero together as they seemed to be in a group photo. But that wasn't the reason why he grabbed that picture frame. The real reason was because of the secret photo behind their group picture. Reaching around, he pulled it from behind the picture on top and looks at it with a nostalgic gaze. Just trying to remember the past and what it once was is the heaviest blow that any person could endure. There were three women and three males present. In the picture was him with a Japanese man with dark hair and light purple eyes. While one beautiful female had dark midnight blue hair and light red eyes, also Japanese. While it seems she had a twin sister who had dark violet hair and purple eyes as well. Then there was Nero's mother, someone that had a hair color of chestnut and eyes as green as emerald gems. She was quite beautiful and was originally from Europe. Vergil didn't really care for simple minded girls but there was obviously something about Teresa that made the man fall for her so her death hit his brother as hard as their mother's.

As he continued to look at photo, Trish got off the desk and placed her hand on his shoulder. "This is the responsibility of us adults Dante. We cannot run away from our problems forever." she was right. A sigh escaped out of him as he shook his head slowly to accept her hard but true advice on the matter.

"This picture was taken a little bit before Vergil decided to go rouge, leaving us behind. After the death of Teresa giving birth to Nero and losing our mother the way that we did, Vergil lost his mind. The power to get stronger so he would never lose anyone else precious to him started to cloud his thoughts like a poisonous fog." Dante said, walking back to his desk and taking a seat.

"That was a hard time for all of us. Especially when my…**friend **was going through hard times of her own. If only I would have been there...I could have stopped that from happening. My hands were tied with me fighting against Vergil that I never could go and save her. Even till this day I feel like I can't forgive myself for not protecting her when she needed me the most."

"…Who was the one that was kidnapped?" Trish sadly asked him. She didn't want to bring up bad memories from the man but something about her curiosity caused her to ask such a question. Now she felt a bit bad for doing so.

"The women in the photo with the dark purple hair and violet eyes…" This made Trish look back at the photo as her eyes landed on the figure he mentioned.

"Her name is Maya Yotsuba. Even though she survived her kidnapping, she still suffered a great amount of emotional distress. Even after returning back home she was never the same person she once was. It caused trouble between her and her twin sister Miya Shiba, and…" Dante said Maya's name with a distant look in his eye that Trish didn't miss but decided to push it aside for now. She could tell that he wasn't telling her everything in regards to that woman. Dante might have whispered to himself the last part of his sentence but she heard it. He said "me…"

"Maya…Yotsuba?" Trish said aloud as if she could recall that name from somewhere before…

"Yea, I know you've heard of the "**Devil of the Far East**" Trish's eyes widened. So she was the infamous human that has earned the title of **devil **that resided in Japan. It was quite surprising or more of a coincidence that Dante even knew such a female in the first place. It would seem that Dante has known this woman before he met Lady when they were both younger. Both Dante and Lady ran into one another when he was fighting against his brother Vergil and the crazed human Arkum. However, her thoughts were soon interrupted by the shop bell ringing signaling someone's arrival. Both Dante and Trish looked toward the front door and after getting a good look at the person standing there, Dante couldn't help the small smile that crept upon his face.

"Well it's good to see you old friend. What brings you here to America?" Dante said pausing as the man was the one form the photo he showed Trish not too long ago.

"Tatsurou Shiba" Dante said as the man gave him a slight smile.

"It's been too long hasn't it? Dante..."

* * *

Miyuki, Mayumi and Tatsuya reached the student council room they entered meeting some new faces. Mari, the short black haired female Tatsuya remembers, but the other two caught his attention. One was a girl with short orange/brown hair and bright green eyes. She seemed to be the smallest one in the group by a large margin while the other girl had dark teal colored hair and red eyes. Just looking at the dark blue haired girl Tatsuya could tell she was a direct and outspoken type. He would even bet she was into making other people uncomfortable for her own enjoyment.

"Come in and welcome to my den!" Mayumi said jokingly as she used her arms to increase the presentation of said setting. Tatsuya was just glad that Mayumi was able to recover from her earlier episode. After all, Nero probably took his teasing a bit too far.

"Mayumi, where in the world have you been?" Mari asked as she then noticed the Shiba siblings with her. Mayumi seemed to be in slightly better spirits compared to the last two days, but Mari knew something was eating away at her friend.

"I was just walking to school this morning and happened to run into Miyuki-san, Tatsuya-san of course. But then…" Wait, why did she stop? Mayumi looked to be averting her eyes to the side slightly unsure.

"Never mind…" she forced down a creeping blush that found its way sitting on top of her rosy cheeks. If Tatsuya knew any better he would think his president was a "special case" in regards to a certain fetish he didn't want to mention aloud.

"What do you mean never mind?" Mari found Mayumi's mood swings as of late a bit random and out of the blue. This made Miyuki to stare at Mayumi in wonder as well. Now that everyone in the room thought about it, Mayumi has been acting differently for the past week. The girl's emotions were constantly fluctuating and it was becoming belatedly obvious to everyone around her that something was bothering the girl in some way. The smaller orange haired girl had something on her mind as to what it could possibly be but she didn't want to jump to conclusions at first. Watching her council president take a seat quietly at the table seeming to ignore answering Mari's question, she sees Mayumi pick up some papers neatly sorting them with an annoyed look.

"It's because of a boy isn't it?" This question caused Mayumi's shuffling of the papers to halt to a stop.

"Is that what it is? Whoa Mayumi, since when? I'm your best friend and you never said a thing about a boy!" now Mari was interested. She knew her friend was always playing hard to get with the males so hearing this was somewhat short of surprising for her. But she also knew Mayumi was in an arranged marriage so that was a huge factor in it as well. It was something the girl didn't want anything to do with but withstood it because of the sake of her family name and for that reason Mari felt for her friend. Getting married without love was something she herself swore to never do so she could only imagine the grief her friend was felling each passing day knowing that her love life did not truly belong to her. Tatsuya and Miyuki watched this from the sidelines with different expressions upon their faces. Who knew that the student council room could get so lively?

"What!? Who would like a jerk like that anyway?" Mayumi asked aloud as she huffed with closed eyes.

"Obviously you president…" The girl with the dark blue hair and red eyes said taking a sip of her cup of tea.

"I-I DO NOT!" Mayumi dismissively yelled as she rose out her chair, slamming her hands down on the table while her blush returned to her face. What was the meaning of this?

The small orange haired girl looked at the state Mayumi was in and shook her head positively. Yep, she knew it. All those strange excuses or reasons for leaving the council room started to make sense to her now.

"Come to think of it, aren't you always trying to leave the council room early so you can hopefully run into **that** boy?" The small girl asked causing Mayumi's blush to increase a bit deeper.

"W-what no!" The president fired back defensively with a look on her face that screamed otherwise. If she wasn't trying to tell on herself it was already too late. Her face told everyone in the room everything they needed to know. The dark blue haired girl took another sip of her tea with her eyes closed as she sensed the lie in Mayumi's words.

"It's definitely **that** boy. If I recall, he's a foreigner on abroad from overseas. The one who has been receiving a great amount of attention because of his good looks if I remember correctly?" Miyuki knew exactly who she was talking about as soon as she heard those words and Tatsuya was watching them go back and forth with amusement. He figured it was about Nero a good while ago, but them saying it aloud only confirmed it.

"That is impossible! No way could I fall for a guy like that!" The girl with the teacup in her hand breathed deeply as she felt that she needed to finish Mayumi off without mercy or it would never end.

"For the past three days I've caught you gazing at him from the window every time he walks by heading to his other classes." Taking another sip of her tea, Mayumi stood there frozen in place. If her face wasn't red before, it was probably the same color as her eyes by now.

"I-I…" she was trying to retort but she had absolutely nothing.

"Yep, I saw that too! Every time I would call out to you trying to ask for your help you were always in a weird daze. Even though you complain about how much of a jerk he is to you I'm starting to think you actually like the way he treats you…madam president." Mayumi was obviously beyond embarrassed by now. If anything she looked mortified from her friend's analogies if anything. After all, her friends just secretly implied that she was into S&M play…

"A-channnnn!~" Mayumi pouted weakly. She comically tried throwing some of her neatly sorted papers at the girls who did this to her in the first place but the papers obviously did nothing and gently fell back in front of her harmlessly. Mayumi's embarrassment increased further for failing to inflict any form of damage in her recent attempt. Mari could understand in some ways in regards to the handsome foreigner. She was also captivated by the boy's good looks as well so no wonder the other guys stood no chance when it came to reeling in Mayumi. This whole time she was into 'bad boys.' It seemed like the other male population were either too nice or not rough enough for the girl's liking. But Seeing her friend in this state brought a smile to her face none the less. She finally had someone she was at least interested in and that made her a bit happy. As a friend she wouldn't mind giving the girl some tips in romance.

Miyuki didn't quite know what to think from the soap opera episode she just witnessed. She had just found out that council president Mayumi Seagusa, might have some form of feelings for Nero. She unconsciously frowned at that realization while staring at the flushed girl. Tatsuya called it. Something told him Mayumi was into that kind of thing and it caused him to give a closed eye smirk in triumph. His intuition is usually if not, ever wrong.

"Um…excuse me?" Miyuki was trying desperately to change the subject. She quickly made herself known to her upperclassmen as she and her brother Tatsuya were sitting patiently the entire time. It felt a bit late because of the current event but she just wanted to talk about something else for now. Mayumi cleared her throat trying to force down her earlier embarrassment.

"Sorry about that you two. It feels like everyone wants to pick on me today. Anyway…" Moving her hand in the direction of the girl who was sipping tea she tries to start the introductions.

"We might have already introduced ourselves but just in case, sitting next to me is our treasurer, Suzune Ichihara aka Rin…the one who just butchered me!"

"You're the only one who ever calls me "Rin the butcher" President…" Suzune said uninterested.

"With obvious good reason." Mayumi retorted with a closed eyed smile. Now moving her hand over to her best friend.

"I'm sure you should know the girl next to her right? That's Mari Watanabe, chairman of the disciplinary committee." Mari just gave a quick wave.

"Then there's our secretary who also chewed me out, Azusa Nakajo, aka A-chan"

"President…I beg you, I know you're mad at me but please don't call me A-chan in front of the underclassmen! I have a reputation to maintain, too, you know!" the girl known as Azusa said cutely but was completely ignored giving a well deserved pout in the process.

"And along with Hanzo, our vice president, that's our student council this semester."

"Although I'm not a member…" Mari said cheekily.

"Ms. Watanabe?" Miyuki suddenly asked gaining the girl's attention.

"Hmm, what is it?"

"Did you make that boxed lunch by yourself?"

"Yes…I did, is that a big surprise?" Mari had to ask with a raised brow. Was it weird that she prepared her own lunches? Well, the real reason was for something else entirely but that was neither here nor there.

"No…not at all." Miyuki defended not trying to be rude. It's not every day that you see someone actually take the time to make their own lunches.

"We can tell by your hands whether or not you cook on a regular basis. Seeing your hands being bandaged the way that they are shows us that you are trying your hardest to become an excellent cook. Nothing to be embarrassed about, it's a nice skill to have." Tatsuya said as this caused Mari to withdraw her hands blushing lightly. Was it that obvious?

"I know, Brother! Why don't we start bringing our own box lunches to school as well? Wouldn't that be nice?" for whatever reason Miyuki found the idea rather pleasant. After all, making a homemade lunch and better yet, sharing it with the people you care about…wait care about. The remembrance of Nero eating from Mizuki's bento box came back to her mind and made her think deeply about what that could possibly mean. Now that she really thought about it, Miyuki was quite observant towards how the glasses wearing girl would look at Nero from time to time so there had to be something more than Mizuki just trying to share her lunch. A frown appeared on Miyuki's face briefly recalling the event as if it yesterday. Form the way Nero was eating the homemade lunch it seemed like he enjoyed it greatly. So…Mizuki was somehow able to get Nero to eat her food…that was made with her tender love and care. Now Miyuki really felt irritated for some reason. Tatsuya was usually extremely good at reading his sister's mood under certain circumstances but at that particular moment he was absolutely oblivious.

"That does sound appealing…but I don't know where we would be able to be alone?"

"You two sound more like lovers than siblings." Suzune said causing Miyuki to blush lightly and Tatsuya to think about it.

"Do we? Well, I do admit that it has crossed my mind before. That if only we weren't blood related, I would want her as my lover…" Tatsuya said with a small smile toward Miyuki causing the others around them to blush fiercely.

"Needless to say, I'm only joking…" Miyuki and surprisingly Azusa both looked rather disappointed from his supposed attempt as a joke. Darn, she finally thought she came across a real life incest couple. Those 'Sibling Love" manga books she was reading were getting the best of her for sure.

After the little fiasco, Mari boldly tried to nominate Tatsuya as one of the discipline committee while Miyuki agreed as did Mayumi. After realizing he was pretty much defeated, he let it go for now and went to his classes knowing he would return later.

* * *

At the same time at the temple, Elena and Yakumo were inside sitting at his table.

"I want to give these to see onii-san and onee-san" she said as the silver pendant shined with its beautiful glossy finish.

"And I'm sure they will love it little one" Yakumo said with his smile before sensing something.

"Elena honey, go show the others the gift you want to give your brother and sister ok?" Yakumo said as the girl smiled brightly before hastily running while showing all the monks her present.

When Yakumo heard that she was busy with the others he pulled out two of his kunai knives and throws them out the window. He heard the quick yelp of something in the nearby trees before it fell and hit the ground lifeless.

Looking out he spots two demons that looked like gargoyles while his kunai was implanted in their skulls. Slowly they started to turn to ash as the wind blew the rest of their remains away causing Yakumo to gain a serious expression.

"It seems I need to start placing more runes around the temple, just to be on the safe side" he says to himself as he then quickly turns back to his playful nature while joining the others.

* * *

Nero was in class earlier learning about spell activation and how it is important to get every sequence right or the spell will always fail. But he didn't care much about that since he has already seen most demons do everything and beyond what this school was teaching when I came to magic. Nero was walking to his next period class as he thought about the events of yesterday and today.

"Hey you!" Nero heard someone call out to him. Nero turned around to find the same brown haired male that was with Mayumi the other day but Nero himself didn't know that since they never met personally.

"What?"

"You're that Stem who was giving madam president a hard time…are you not? I won't forgive you for that!" He said making Nero raise his eye brow slightly amused.

"It's not that big of a deal." Nero said causing the male to growl in absolute anger.

"W-what insolence! Not only do you insult me but you dare not apologize to lady Mayumi? Unforgivable…" he said as Nero just stared blankly at the guy.

"I, Hattori Gyobu, challenge you to a duel for lady Mayumi's affection!" Hattori said pointing at Nero with determination clearly in his eyes.

"Where are you going with this? And who said anything about me and Mayumi having a thing?" Nero stated while looking at the boy's finger that pointed in his direction. He must have also seen the way Mayumi looks at Nero from time to time and couldn't forgive the devil.

"Don't try to escape! You shall be punished for even making her feel so upset in the first place!"

"I don't have time for your foolishness. I'm going to be late to my next class if I sit here and chat with an idiot like you." Nero said while ruffling his white hair in bored frustration before slowly walking away from the boy who hawked the back of his head.

"I refuse to let you get away with this Nero Angelo! That is…unless you are afraid you will be utterly shamed and humiliated?" Hattori said as Nero just continued walking off to class, paying the boy no mind.

"You can do whatever you want. I don't really care to be honest but whatever you do, don't play with yourself to long…you might get use to it." Waving over his shoulder as he walker further and further away.

"T-that…damned Zero!" Hattori said with gritted teeth as he mocked Nero's school nickname as the "Handsome Zero" he attained from school gossip. He tried to intimidate the white haired male but to no avail. He wasn't so easily swayed into acts of violence it would seem. He was hoping the boy would have retaliated so he had a reason to strike him down on the spot. Dammit! He should have pressed the boy a bit more so he could have forced his hand. Turning around in anger Hittori knew to himself that he would get back at the handsome devil…somehow.

"This isn't over Zero…"

* * *

Miyuki and Tatsuya were now heading back to the Student Council room in the attempt of meeting up with the council president. Tatsuya was thinking about how he doesn't fit in with this kind of environment while Miyuki was thinking about earlier and how Tatsuya hurt her feelings by joking this morning about his love for her.

"_Onii-sama was so mean joking about my feelings like that…but…"_ she thought now looking at his back as he continued to walk in front of her. Peering out the window taking in the beautiful scene of the setting sun, Miyuki was a roller coaster of built up emotions at the moment. It's been nearly three hours since the whole ordeal took place from the early afternoon and Nero was slowly but surely becoming more and more popular before her very eyes. It would seem that it was especially the case when it came to the female body of the school. It was a quick yet strange feeling that she experienced earlier when she found out her president's possible feelings towards the white haired devil. Miyuki looked down at her hands that were carrying her bag in deep thought. She was thinking about the boy more frequently now as well and it confused her greatly.

"_Why?" _She asked herself as if she could answer her own question…but she couldn't. The events of today and the remembrance of him interacting with his younger sister made Miyuki see that there was much more to Nero than she first thought. Normally it wouldn't matter to her if she had heard her council president was interested in a boy. But it wasn't just some normal boy…it was Nero, the same person who made her curious because of his mysterious personality. Miyuki wanted to keep telling herself that it wasn't any of her business or that she didn't care about what he did but as time went on…she did. The Shiba sister had to shake her head to rid herself of those roaming thoughts once again as they returned to overflow her mind with doubt. Usually the thought of a boy touching her or being near her made her feel uneasy but when it came to Nero, she didn't feel unnerved or anxious at all. There was something very wrong with Miyuki Shiba, and Miyuki herself knew it.

"Are you ready Miyuki?" Her brother suddenly looked back to his sister behind him. They just arrived in front of the council room waiting at the door so he wanted to make sure she was ok before entering. Tatsuya has noticed Miyuki being quiet and to herself recently as well. Maybe what he said earlier might have taken things too far and ended up hurting her feelings?

"Yes Onii-sama, I'm ready now." With that he opens the door, walking in with his sister. Everyone around the room looked to be doing their own tasks and it was a bit refreshing compared to what they walked into earlier. It seemed like all of them present but there was something wrong with a boy standing near a window as he peered out into the distance. Hattori was gazing out of the window with his hands behind his back with such an intense expression; one would think he was a prison warden looking to punish someone the first chance he got. Tatsuya felt that Hattori was angry at something or someone from the look of his face and posture.

"It's Tatsuya."

"It's Miyuki."

"Ah, welcome back you two!" Mayumi greeted happily. Hattori, the brown haired boy turned around and gave Tatsuya a cold hard gaze. To Hattori, Tatsuya was nothing but another hindrance around the council room that they had no time to babysit. Making his way to the siblings he completely ignores Tatsuya and greets Miyuki.

"Hello Ms. Shiba-san, I am Vice-President Hattori Gyobu, welcome to the Student Council." Hattori said as all he did was found a way in angering Miyuki since she didn't like how he disrespected her brother by ignoring him. Miyuki still bowed however, to show she was at least respectful out of the two of them.

"Well then, shall we get started A-chan?" The orange haired girl nodded her head in approval to Mayumi's suggestion. They had a lot of work to get done and waiting around any longer would just cause all of their responsibilities to back up and overwhelm them.

"We should also get going Tatsuya-san." Tatsuya look slightly confused in Mari's direction. He was wondering why she was so aggressive toward him joining her division. Tatsuya was sure that as chairwoman, Mari was a woman that didn't take the word "no" for an answer.

"Go where?"

"To the Discipline Committee of course, it will be easier if you see how it's done in person." Mari headed for the door in her attempt to leave said room but was suddenly stopped by the voice of Hattori.

"Ms. Watanabe, please wait a moment."

"What is it Vice President Hattori Gyobushojo Hanzo?" Mari asked causing the boy to blush out of embarrassment . There were just some things that he didn't want people to know about himself and one of them was his true full name. For his own reasons he disliked the sound of it and how certain people used to tease him about it.

"Please don't call me that anymore, my name is just Hattori Gyobu here!" he tried to defend before coughing in his hand to clear his throat.

"Anyway, I don't feel he deserves to be a part of the discipline committee especially since he is a mere Weed. Also a Weed has never been able to enter into the committee period why change that now?" he asked.

"You know it's forbidden to refer "Course 2" and "Course 3" students as Weeds and Stems. You actually have some nerve uttering that in front of me. Especially when you know how much I detest such behavior." Mari said in a professional manner but some of it seemed like it was taken a bit personal. She was sick of the discrimination that was going on within the school and felt it needed to stop. The continuous disrespect between students of lower status was enough to make her stomach turn. No way would she let something like this continue in this school. This was her last year before graduation and damn it, she will make sure the torch she passes on will be left in good hands.

"Sugar coating it won't do any good now will it Watanabe-san? A Weed will always be a Weed and a Stem will always and only be a Stem. After all…they cannot handle the situation with their inferior skills. It's only the truth is it not?" Hattori said only angering Miyuki further. Who in the world did he think he was to say something like that? He not only insulted her brother, but their friends as well.

"It's true that we usually wouldn't do something this but in this case it's for a good reason. Tatsuya has the ability to read activation spells so I feel he will be a valuable asset to the committee. So I will not sit here and let the committee **I lead** continue to discriminate because of one's rank!" Mari said causing Hattori to suck his tongue in annoyance before turning to Mayumi.

"President, as Vice President, I am against appointing Tatsuya Shiba to the Discipline Committee. A Course 2 or 3 student lacking magical experience would be a hindrance to the Discipline Committee." Hattori said without flitching. Miyuki was to the point that she couldn't take his berating any longer.

"Now wait a minute! It's true that my brother's practical test scores were sub-par, but only because his skills were incompatible with the method of assessment! In actual battle, my brother would never lose to anyone." Normally Miyuki would be right about that statement she just said if it were regarding humans alone but there were beings in the world that were terrifyingly more powerful.

"A true magician is able to adapt to what they are provided and engage in any situation accordingly. You saying that your brother can do all those things will not change the fact he is still the status of a "Weed" Ms. Shiba. Please refrain from using your clouded judgment." Hattori retorted as this put Miyuki more on the offensive.

"I'm sorry, but what I said is not because of my clouded judgment! It's true. Onii-sama can't be defeated in combat…" but she was suddenly stopped by Tatsuya who proceeded to then approach Hattori.

"Vice President Hattori, I usually refrain myself from matters such as this but…I challenge you to a duel." Tatsuya said calmly. Hattori didn't know it but he just upset Tatsuya Shiba.

"How dare you! You are just a mere reserve!"

"It's not about me. It's about my sisters words that you accused of being false. I will not let you make her into a liar" Tatsuya said calmly. You can only go but so far with messing with his sister before he retaliates and unfortunately, Hattori had done just that. Hattori was about to receive a taste of what happens when you disrespect his younger sister.

"What is it with you Weeds and Stems getting so bold anyway?" Not receiving a quick enough answer he agrees to Tatsuya's challenge.

"Fine, have it your way."

* * *

After that whole ordeal Tatsuya went to fetch his equipment to at least look prepared even though he knew he wouldn't need it. Miyuki was feeling a bit guilty that her brother got put into this big mess because of her. She didn't intend for it to turn out this way. But she also didn't want to stand by and let Hattori insult her brother and even her new friends. As they arrived, they found everyone from earlier waiting patiently as Hattori seemed to be burning holes in Tatsuya's soul with his eyes. Standing across from each other everyone seemed interested in the outcome of the duel. A Weed going against a Bloom. One would say this was an opportunity to show them that Weeds are just as capable as Blooms were when it came to magical talent.

"For this fight no lethal attacks are allowed, weapons and hand to hand combat are prohibited…do you two understand the rules?" Mari asked as both males as they nodded showing they understood the rules.

"BEGIN!"

"_All I have to do is place my force rune underneath his feet while he is distracted_" Hattori thought to himself as he put in his C.A.D activation code. Tatsuya bending slightly over to position his self dashed forward with speed making him appear as a blur. Dashing behind Hattori, the vice president couldn't even react fast enough before something went through his body causing him to hit the ground unconscious.

This of course surprised everyone but Miyuki. She had no doubt in her mind that her brother would be victorious. A smile graced her features as Tatsuya looked over and sent his own smile to his sister. It was for her sake after all.

"_What was that?"_ Mari asked herself surprised staring at Hattori's downed figure before looking at Tatsuya.

"W-winner, Tatsuya Shiba!" Mari and the others started to question Tatsuya about his abilities and if he used acceleration magic while Hattori was knocked out. However, Hattori woke up not to long after they started asking Tatsuya repeated questions.

"Practical scores are based on casting speed, length and complexity of the sequences, and the sequences power to rewrite the information of the target…" Hattori said now holding his head still drowsy.

"I see…you were right that the test measured your abilities incorrectly…" he said before Mayumi came over to check on him.

"Are you alright, Hanzo-kun?" She asked causing said male to quickly stand like nothing happened

"I'm perfectly fine madam president" he after all did not want to look fragile in front of his love interest.

Hattori felt like shit, especially since he looked like a complete idiot for not being able to back up his words. Turning to Miyuki he felt he had to apologize to her for his harsh words.

"Shiba-san…"

"Yes?"

"I…apologize for accusing you of playing favorites. I was the one with poor judgment, forgive me…" now bowing to her showing his guilt which gave her a smile as she too bowed.

"I should also apologize for speaking out against you …please forgive me." The Shiba sister said with a graceful bow of her own. She was just happy that they could see her brother wasn't just a mere reserve and he was more than capable of doing his job properly. Hattori taking a quick look back to Tatsuya who looked as bland as ever but still calm.

"I also owe you my apologizes Tatsuya-san."

"It's fine as long as we can move forward from here."

After that Tatsuya went to the discipline committee room while he meets some of the members he would be working alongside in the future. Afterward, he was told to come back in the morning so his real job could start.

* * *

Miyuki was making her way outside as the end of the school day came to a close. Many students started to flood the exit in an attempt to make their way home as quickly as possible. She knew that there was just a bit of time left before her brother would finish up with his duties and decided to head out a little bit early. While she would be waiting for Tatsuya, her mind wondered about Nero's cute little sister Elena. His adorable sister looked at her as an older sister figure and that made the Shiba sister unexpectedly happy. Miyuki's cheeks lightly heated up remembering how the little girl latched onto her skirt hiding from her brother Tatsuya a bit earlier that day. Miyuki felt a bit special thanks to her supposed little sister. While Miyuki was thinking those thoughts to herself, Nero and Shiemi came into her vision.

Nero looked as if he were wearing a small barely noticeable smirk on his face and her new friend Shiemi also seemed to be smiling with her cheeks flushed a tad bit. Talking about what? Miyuki did not know for certain but she had an idea of it falling along the lines of Nero probably teasing the poor girl. Miyuki stared at them quietly, watching as they talked heartily amongst one another. Her hands were resting firmly on the bag she was carrying, inspecting their interaction with keen observation. Nero looked like he was enjoying himself and because of that, some part of Miyuki felt confound as her eyes never left the conversing pair. It was mostly regarding the fact that everyone she personally knew within her circle of friends seemed to be able to make talking with Nero look so easy when Miyuki herself…could not. It's something she's been thinking about for the past week now that continued to bother her. But she always pushed it to the back of her mind and tried her best to ignore it. However, the scene of him and Mayumi from earlier that morning continued to play in her head. Miyuki's eyes started to slowly open in realization about her internal debate. Could Miyuki Shiba be jealous?

"_I can't be…"_ that was impossible. She looked down at her bag with confusion upon her face trying to figure out what all these thoughts could mean exactly.

Nero knew he would most likely get an earful from Erika tomorrow because of him leaving without her. Oh well, he had to think about Elena and he wasn't ready to introduce her to everyone he knew just yet either. As he continued to walk to the exit of the main gate, Nero tried his absolute best to ignore the person that was burning holes in the side of his head. He could just feel that someone nearby was looking in his direction. He slowly turned his head to the side, finding Tatsuya's younger sister Miyuki standing there as some students said their goodbyes to the school princess. Her eyes and his own landed within the others shortly after. Eyes meeting as neither party decided who would turn their gaze away from the other first. Miyuki knew she was staring again but she didn't pull her eyes away at that time even after that realization. She only continued to stare at the boy as he slowly started to make his way over to her.

"Nero-san, good evening…" Miyuki spoke as he stopped in front of her. Nero didn't really pay much attention to Miyuki before but now that he took the time to look at the girl, he would admit that she was indeed quite beautiful.

"Miyuki, it's surprising seeing you out here without your crowd of admirers. I have to admit, it's strange but a bit refreshing." Nero said to the girl as a smile appeared on her features. Nero was actually trying to converse with her. This was something she has been trying to do since she first saw the boy.

"I may not seem like it but its rather tiring dealing with a fan-base of people each day. But you also seem to be fairing quite well with certain groups of people Nero-san."

"Does it really seem that way? I've never paid much attention to such small stuff like that." Nero said in a slightly interested tone, causing the girl to lightly nod her head.

"I would say so. It seems you just have that affect on people." Nero gave Miyuki one of his signature smirks as he lightly waved off her comment.

"Nah, I'm sure that since you're an extremely attractive girl you have it a lot worse than I do Miyuki." His words caused her to gain a noticeable blush on her cheeks. She knew that Nero was a teasing flirt but unlike the early show with Mayumi, he actually sounded genuine when he said that to her. Miyuki found that her eyes drifted to the side, finding the nearby gate exit rather intriguing all of a sudden.

"Are you just teasing me Nero-san?" with the shrug of his shoulders, Nero closed eyes from her question.

"Who knows, maybe I am or maybe I'm not…" If there was one thing that started to drive Miyuki crazy, it was the fact that she was still learning Nero's personality at her own pace. She couldn't tell if he was serious or not at times and not knowing really made her mind wonder. It amazed her how he could just say things like that with such a straight face, kidding or not. It was almost as bad as her brother's teasing nature or maybe even worse.

"Anyway, it's about time I headed out. Are you going to be ok by yourself?" Nero asked. Miyuki gained a slightly shocked look from the question as a thought dawned upon her. _'He's worried about me?'_

"I'm actually waiting for my brother to finish up with his duties. He should be finishing up any minute now but thank you for your concern." She stated. Nero looked at Miyuki for a brief moment as he processed what she had just told him. The Shiba princess noticed him staring at her and couldn't help but feel a little self conscious under his gaze. It didn't help that he told her she was a good looking female either. She used her left hand to move some of her beautiful blue hair behind her ear gently as her eyes scanned his, wondering what he could be thinking.

"Nero-san, what's wrong?" Nero closed his eyes with a small and barely noticeable smirk from her actions.

"It's nothing really…" The white haired teen said as he started to walk past her.

"Well, if you're planning on meeting up with your brother after he's down inside then I'll just be on my way." He was leaving already? But he just started talking to her.

"You're already leaving?" Miyuki asked softly. She looked at the boy who was walking further and further away from her with a frown that plastered her thin lips. The devil seemed to hear her question, stopping in place and turning his head to face her.

"Sorry, but this idiot big brother has a little sister waiting for him to return. She'd let me have it if I was even a minute late..." Nero again started to walk but not without waving over his shoulder like normal.

"Later…" Miyuki was once again stuck staring at the boy. Miyuki couldn't help but ponder at his words in her mind over and over again. The person she was looking at right now was someone Miyuki Shiba could not take her eyes off of no matter how much she would want to at that very moment. The words that Nero had just spoken were words that reminded her of her older brother Tatsuya once again. Miyuki was absolutely certain of it now. Nero Angelo was a sweet and caring older brother who loved his younger sibling greatly. This made Miyuki bring her hand up to her chest unconsciously as she continued to watch him leave quietly. Now thinking about it, Miyuki herself wanted to visit the small girl that day. Maybe what Nero had said made her want to step up as well and be something similar for Elena. She was the little girl's supposed "older sister" figure after all so there had to be something she could do for the little one.

"Nero-san, wait!" Miyuki yelled as she ran with speed she rarely used to catch up to Nero. Nero could hear his name being called by the girl so he turned around towards her as she made it up to him. He could see that the girl was slightly flustered or out of breath by the look on her face. Maybe she was just winded?

"What is it?"

"After my brother finishes his duties inside, why don't we all go together to see Elena?" The bluenette asked looking back into his eyes, patiently awaiting his answer. Nero looked at the girl with a raised brow trying to understand her reasoning for asking to see Elena in the first place. As he looked at the Shiba princess he could see her resolve to see the little girl again. Maybe Miyuki had taken a liking to the girl after all? Nero closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck, bringing his hand back to his side. The way Miyuki was now he doubted he could refuse her. She seemed like she really wanted to visit Elena and saying anything other than "yes" wouldn't probably stop her anyway.

*Sigh* "Fine." Miyuki clasps her hands together in delight with a beautiful smile to match. This was so wonderful!

"Miyuki…" someone's voice called to her causing the girl to blink before she noticed it was her brother who wore an unreadable expression but she could see his vision travel to Nero who was also looking at Tatsuya.

"Onii-sama! You're finished for the day?"

"Yes, Mari-senpai asked me to return tomorrow morning."

"Then onii-sama, can we stop by Yakumo's on our way home tonight? I would really like to see Elena before heading home." Tatsuya gave the girl a soft smile. He didn't mind to be honest, he was more than willing if it was something Miyuki wanted.

"I don't mind. It's also nice to see you as well Angelo-san." Tatsuya said while giving the devil a quick nod in his direction. Nero returned the gesture of course.

"The feelings mutual." Nero could tell that his presence rubbed Tatsuya the wrong way. He wasn't sure what he did to spark that within the older brother but whatever it was, it wasn't that big of a deal to him anyway.

"Alright then Onii-sama, Nero-san, let us be on our way." Boy are their friends going to let them have it tomorrow for leaving without them.

* * *

Maya currently had a lot on her mind since she was literally thinking a thousand miles a minute. Her heart was still aching from earlier this morning when she found out about the white haired young male who reminded her so much of her old lover Dante.

She couldn't help but feel warm as she wore a small barely noticeable blush still looking at the photo in her hand. Just looking at it seemed to bring back old memories of the man she loved.

"Dante…" she whispered to herself as if saying that name would let him appear before her. Deciding to now place the picture down after the hundredth time she took glances at it, she could not help the urge to meet the young male in the photo.

"He looks identical to **him **as well. He must be…" Maya said thinking about her old friend. The twin brother of her first love, but also the lover of her old friend Teresa. The woman to give birth to the boy in the photo was a good friend of Maya and her late sister growing up. The group of women would always joke and tell themselves that if they were to have children of the opposite sex, they would let them marry one another and always look out for each other. But that once joking atmosphere turned into something much more. After continuous encounters with supernatural beings, Miya made sure that her **next born child** would take on and truly fulfill that role. There was more reasons why her young Niece was "created" the way she was. It would seem like the time was drawing near and closer to everything coming to light.

"Teresa, he has grown handsomely indeed…" now smiling before picking up another cup of tea.

"Yes, I think I'll pay him a visit sometime soon." looking down at the picture once more, bringing her finger to her soft lips as she laughed softly to herself.

"My prince…"

* * *

On the rooftops of the city, as the sun was setting for the day and the horizon was as beautiful as any day was something that seemed to be watching Nero, Miyuki and Tatsuya as they made their ways towards Yakumo's temple.

"He's the one I've been looking for, for the past three days. I could feel something inside of him that feels similar to the demon blood of Sparda. My blood…It boils to kill that boy!" The figure said as his blood red eyes glowed in the night before slowly his body disappeared in the shadows.

Nero and the group finally made it to Yakumo's as they were greeted by the bald man.

"Ahh…you're all finally back. And how was school?" He asked them as he seemed to me messing with them again.

"It was…different I would say…" Tatsuya said while noticing Yakumo's students were not outside.

"How about you, anything happen?" Nero asked as he walked up to the man who looked as goofy as ever.

"Oh...just some guests dropped by is all. But other than that it wasn't bad." he said causing Miyuki to look slightly confused while Tatsuya looked more observant, but Nero knew exactly what Yakumo meant when he said that.

"Oh yeah, how many?" Nero asked playing along.

"About two, but it was a very short visit anyway." Yakumo said as he smile increased as he waved it off.

"How was Elena while I was gone?"

"Yes, is she alright?" Miyuki suddenly asked.

"Oh she was a real treat to have. She was so cheerful and kept saying how she couldn't wait for her brother and sister to return home." Yakumo said making Miyuki blush while Nero scratched his cheek a little embarrassed. Tatsuya looked at the two and how they seemed to feel slightly flushed, more so in Miyuki's favor. Even he knew the affects Nero's little sister had on his own sister.

"Where is she by the way?" Nero asked looking around.

"Sorry…I can't say. I promised to keep it a secret." smile increasing while Nero just stared at the man. One of these days Nero is going to slam him into the ground with his devil bringer.

"I'm just teasing you. Look, she's coming right now." They all turned to see the young girl running towards them.

"ONII-SAN, ONEE-SAN YOU'RE BACK!" Little Elena yelled as she ran up to Miyuki and hugged her leg before she smiled at Nero.

"Elena-chan…" Miyuki said tenderly as she bent down to hug the girl back. She couldn't help it. The girl was the cutest thing she's ever seen.

"Did you have fun while we were gone Elena?" Nero asked as he received a happy nod from the girl as she moved out of Miyuki's embrace.

"Uh-huh… and I have a secret gift for Onii-san and Onee-san." Elena said cutely as Nero looked at her and couldn't help but smile while Miyuki wanted to hug her again. She was too adorable.

"Onii-san." Elena said while motioning him to move closer so that he was near her and Miyuki. Doing so he kneels down in front of Elena as he joined Miyuki. The Shiba princess noticed the increased closeness between Nero and herself as her eyes looked at him from the side.

"Onii-san, Onee-san I want to give my gift. Close eyes." she said to them as Tatsuya watched quietly in the back. He was a bit curious as to what this "gift" could be. Guess he would just have to wait and see for himself.

"Ok/Alright." Miyuki and Nero said almost in harmony as they did what was asked of them. Both Nero and Miyuki soon after felt the soft peck of a kiss hit each of their cheeks. Elena's little arms wrapped around her brother and supposed sister's neck as she tried to hug them tightly.

"Onii-san, Onee-san…I love you…" Miyuki and Nero's eyes opened in shock. As the little girl pulled back from them she gave them a big heartwarming smile. The Shiba sister stared at the girl speechless as she brought her hand up to the spot she received the kiss. Something inside Miyuki's heart was building up and her warm cheeks were proof of that. Miyuki closed her eyes and turned her head to the side in bliss. She seemed to be mouthing things to herself about "my cute little sister" while wiggling in her spot. This caused Nero, Tatsuya and Yakumo to sweat drop while Elena laughed at her onee-san's funny gestures. Nero shook his head before a smirk appeared on his face. He placed his hand on top of Elena's head and started to rub it affectionately.

"Thank you for thinking of me Elena." Getting up from the ground Nero turns to Miyuki offering the girl his hand. The action made Miyuki to look at it for a moment before bringing her vision to his gorgeous gaze. If she was truthful to herself, she wouldn't mind seeing this gentle side of Nero a little more often. As she slowly placed her hand in his softly the devil gently helped her onto her feet.

"Thank you Nero-san."

"No need…" There he goes again. Miyuki cutely pouted as she returned a side glance back in his direction. Feeling something cold around her neck her eyes look towards her chest, finding an item she was sure her little sister placed around her neck recently.

"Wait…Elena-chan, what is this? I-it's beautiful…" Miyuki inspected the necklace in her hand carefully. It was indeed a sight to behold. It was magnificent. Silver with a clear colored crystal in the center of a crescent shape mold. Miyuki gripped it tightly to her chest. This would be something precious to her now, especially since it was given to her by her supposed little sibling. Nero had one as well, but he noticed something was a bit off about his.

"Elena…is my necklace supposed to be missing a piece?" Elena only smiled bigger at his question as she nodded her head happily.

"Onii-san's piece is missing because Onee-san has the other half!" Nero exhaled deeply closing and turning his head to the side. He had a bad feeling about this from the start and his gut is usually never wrong. Miyuki on the other hand started to blush profusely. Wait…did that mean that they were...

"E-Elena-chan, you gave us couples jewelry?" Miyuki stated with obvious embarrassment. This was the last thing she saw coming!

"Mhmm…" Elena's smile only became wider and wider the more Miyuki became flustered. Yakumo saw the Shiba sister's distress and decided to add fuel to the fire.

"That is an old necklace that was kept within the temple for some time now. " Yakumo said as he stroked his beard with an unreadable expression but on the inside he was grinning like a madman.

"You see…that there is the necklace of Eros. There's an old tale behind it, but it's said that those who wear each piece will be inseparable and bound together even through the end of time. It does indeed sound like its befitting for lovers...does it not?" Yakumo said as Miyuki started to blush tenfold.

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Yakumo busted out laughing at her reaction. That was priceless! Nero's eye twitched in annoyance as he had the decency to wear a small blush of his own. This guy….

"HAA! Sorry, I had to." whipping a tear away from his already closed eyes. Tatsuya was shaking his head at his sensei for teasing his sister like that. Seems like the man would never learn.

"It seems to be getting late for today so I think it's time me and Miyuki headed home…" Tatsuya said causing said girl to be knocked out of her stupor. But at this moment in time even Miyuki felt that leaving now was maybe for the best.

"Onii-sama…" she said looking toward her brother who gave her a small smile. Nero felt something run into the back of his leg, looking down to see Elena. Of course after everything that's happened she wouldn't want to be separated from Miyuki. She was her sister and she wanted to be with her like the happy families she viewed from the television at home.

"Why can't Onee-san come home with us?" Elena asked cutely causing Miyuki to relapse a blush at the question as well. She wanted them to live together?

"Elena…" Nero said as he gave another sigh to his sister's question.

"I don't think that's a good idea little one." Tatsuya said making the little girl frown. She was a young girl so she didn't quite understand the complexity to having healthy boys and girls under the same roof.

"But I want Onee-san and Onii-san to be together…" Elena whined softly. Miyuki was rendered speechless. The Shiba sister did not know what to tell the girl. What could she say? Nero looked at the little girl as he placed his hand on her head softly once again.

"Elena, even your Onee-san has a life of her own. And right now…whatever she does or decides to do, you should respect her decision. That's your job as her little sister…is it not?" What he said was true. There were just times in life when you had to let the people you love experience or do things for themselves. Elena gave him a small nod as Miyuki sent a grateful smile to Nero.

"I guess we'll see each other tomorrow then?" Nero asked them uncertain.

"Of course. We'll look forward to it…Nero-san, Elena-chan." Miyuki said as Tatsuya also bowed but took a side glance at his sister who seemed a bit happy. She was really warming up to Nero's little sister.

"Tomorrow then…" Nero said as he and Elena turned to go their separate ways. Nero waved over his shoulder as always while holding Elena's hand in his other. Miyuki and Tatsuya began to leave as well but Miyuki made sure to wave goodbye to Elena as the little girl returned the gesture. Could she be any more adorable? Miyuki then slowly turned to face forward with her small blush remaining on her cheeks.

"Onii-sama, is there anything that you would like to eat tonight?" Miyuki asked enthusiastically. Tatsuya could see the pep in her step and knew she was in a good mood. His sister then latched on his arm as she laid her head against his shoulder. He could only smile at her actions. She was always happy when she was with him…but now…now he could say that this was the first time in a while after their mother's death that he saw Miyuki's true smile.

"You already know by now Miyuki. Anything you make is fine."

* * *

Nero and Elena were now on their way home, Nero was thinking about the things that happened earlier before looking down at Elena. He had to admit the girl has grown on him. But the fear he had in his heart was always there. The type of work that he did would bring enemies of all shapes and sizes and that realization…terrified him. Nero was afraid of her getting hurt because of him. That is another reason why he didn't want to get too close to the people here in Japan. He didn't want them to become caught up in all of this. Sucking his teeth in frustration grabbed Elena's attention as she looked up to see that her brother looked conflicted.

"Onii-san…" The girl could see that her brother was struggling with his emotions. Nero looked at her while trying to give her a small smirk the best he could.

"I'm alright Elena. I guess I'm just a bit tired is all." Nero said while making her stare at him still not convinced.

'_Wait, what is this feeling?'_ Nero's eyes instantly became alert before grabbing Elena and performed a back flip 30 feet in the air while holding her firmly. As he performed the acrobatics, something went past where he and Elena once were. Landing gracefully, Nero stared intently at whatever tired to attack them.

"**You have good reflexes…Kin of Sparda."** his words made Nero go into full alert. He had to protect Elena but he didn't want her to see the fight that might take place as well. Dammit!

"Onii-san…" The look on her face said it all. The thing standing across from them was far from normal and even Elena could feel something was off. The look of discomfort on her face spoke volumes to Nero. He had to protect her. No matter what the cost he needed to get her out of there safely even if it killed him. He looked at her with a confident smirk on his face trying his best to reassure the little girl and let her know that she would be alright. No way would he let any harm come to her if it was up to him.

"Elena, don't worry. I promise no matter what happens I will protect you." Nero had to gauge the situation carefully. He didn't have Blue Rose or Red Queen with him at that point in time so he would have to rely on his abilities. But wait…he had his Belmont. The good thing about Belmont was he could draw out its power without it physically being wielded.

"**I am here to kill you and rid this world of your foul stench…half blood." **The creature was an ugly looking fellow if Nero was honest. But he gave off an intimidating aura that Nero could easily feel. He knew that this demon before him was no pushover.

"You know, I have school tomorrow and the last thing I want to be is late." Nero said causing the demon to snort in amusement.

"**You will not be leaving here boy. Prepare yourself!" **With that the demon started to hunch over as its body started to distort and protrude. You could hear the creaking of his bones or ripping of his muscles as his body started to change into something horrific. Nero seeing this knew he couldn't keep Elena there now. Turning around he starts to run fast enough to get away from there. He can't fight him seriously while she was with him. He didn't want her to get hurt because of him.

"Onii-san, I'm scared…"

"It will be ok Elena. I promised remember?" Landing near some trees about four miles away, Nero places her down while looking at her in the eyes.

"Elena, can you please do me a favor?" The girl slowly nodded her head.

"I need you to wait here for me without making a sound ok? Whatever you do please do not leave this spot unless your life is in danger."

"Ok…" the girl said softly as Nero used his finger to wipe away some of her tears.

"Believe in me Elena. I'll be back in no time." with that Nero quickly sprints away from the girl making his way towards the monstrous aura near the mountain side.

"**So you've returned kin of Sparda? I would have hunted you down regardless. You are lucky I let you get away the first time. The hunt is always more enjoyable when they stall." **Nero saw the form of a metallic humanoid with three glowing red eyes and stood at least twenty feet tall after transforming. The power he was oozing was the real deal.

"Just who the hell are you anyway?" Nero asked calmly as he analyzed his opponent. The Demon brought his arms out as it held its head high.

"**I am Orphis, the demon of Distortion. Come…Half-Breed, and let me erase your existence from this world!"** Nero got into a defensive stance as the demon hunched over.

"_I have to be read…"_ Kicking off the ground causing debris to scatter, Orphis closed the distance between them so fast it looked like he teleported.

"_He's fast._" Nero thought as he performed a corkscrew flip to the side to dodge the demon's blitz attack. As soon as Nero's foot hit the ground he could feel the presence of the Demon standing over his body looking down at him. Nero's eyes slowly grew wide in understanding. He really was something he couldn't hold back against.

Quickly performing a back flip to dodge Orphis' punch that hit the ground, the effect caused an explosion from the force alone. The wind sent Nero sailing back as he landed on his feet fifty feet away. The smoke from the attack started to disperse showing the crater that was made from just the wind pressure of his punch. The crater was deep and wide. It was at least forty feet wide and seventy feet deep. What the hell was with that power?

"Hey now…you could have seriously bruised me there." Nero joked as he fixed himself once again ready to re-engage the demon.

"**You disappoint me boy. Where is the power we demon's fear? The power said to destroy worlds! Show it to me!" **Orphis yelled as he dashed towards Nero again. Nero felt it was time to take the offensive with an enemy like this. Focusing he stares at the demons approaching punch. Timing it perfectly Nero jumps over it as he then turned his own body sending a punch towards Orphis.

"**So predictable…Rewrite."** Orphis spoke as an invisible sphere expanded throughout the area. Something wasn't right. Nero was halted in place before all of his movements were being reversed to just before he dodged the attack.

"**I won't miss this time." **As time resumed once again, Nero received the punch he swore he just dodged. The hit threw him back at least a hundred feet. Back hitting the ground Nero used his momentum to back flip up right before noticing the demon was already in his face once again. Kicking the boy in the stomach, the shockwave from the blow was enough to make the surrounding tree vaporized from the force.

"Gah…" Orphis then finishes his kick as Nero was sent through multiple trees. What is that he used?

"**You cannot escape me. My ability "Rewrite" allows me to distort an area and rewind the effects that occur within it no matter what it is so long as it is under five hours. If I want I can blanket just my body or cover three hundred meters vertically and horizontally it doesn't matter! But I'm glad my ability has a drawback that doesn't allow me to use it again until ten minutes have passed. The hunt would be no fun otherwise. Do you understand now kin of Sparda?" **Walking slowly to Nero who quickly got back up to catch his bearings. Wiping the dirt from his face Nero's eyes gain a serious gaze.

"**That's it! Those are the eyes I want to see! COME!" **Nero had to be smart fighting against this demon. His ability was going to be hard to get around. Dusting himself off, Nero tightens the muscles in his legs as he dashed forward kicking up dirt. A sonic boom could be heard in the air as he threw a punch at Orphis who brought his arm up to block the attack. The metallic demon was confident in his hard metal body so the damage would be little to none regardless. He was wrong...

Nero's punch hit true as the force was far greater then Orphis first anticipated.

"_**S-such power!**_**"** The ground underneath their feet imploded as a crater formed under as well. Orphis was lifted from his feet, thrown back destroying tree after tree with his heavy body.

"**For him to knock me back this far..."** using his hand to stop his momentum he slams it in the grown. The demon looks up to Nero who was just staring at him.

"**In this form I weigh at least one hundred tons. Impossible…"** Standing back up they both stare down the other before both disappeared.

*BOOM!* Punch after punch was changing the landscape. Almost as if an earthquake was taking place the demons continued to go back and forth. Orphis before wasn't even using half of his power. But now seeing Nero step it up a notch, he felt it was time for him to also get serious. Swiftly dodging Nero's kick by leaning back he uppercuts the boy into the sky. As Nero blocked the attack he saw Orphis crossing his arms in the "X" formation.

"**I think it's time for me to get serious…GAHHHHHHHHH!" **Yelling into the night, Orphis' power started to skyrocket through the roof. The aura on his body started to vibrate the surrounding area to the point just its presence caused the earth around him started to vaporize.

"**HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Prepare yourself!" **As soon as those words left Orphis' mouth he was somehow in front of Nero who was still in the air. Nero eyes widened in surprise before a huge hand gripped his face.

"**TAKE THIS!"** The veins in the metallic demons arms bulged as his mass increased as well. Throwing Nero towards the ground as hard as he could sent air pressure so great that even though they were a few hundred feet in the air the shockwave effected the surrounding below. Just the force from the throw caused a crater to form on the ground even though they were both still in the air. Nero's body hit the ground with such speed that the normal eye would view him as a lightning bolt. The ground imploded even more than before as plates of rocks and boulders of earth shot out like a volcano. Orphis landed on a pillar of rock that was formed from the impact Nero made with is body. It looked like an Armageddon wasteland. Nero suddenly popped out back flipping onto uneven earth. His uniform needed a washing for sure now. Hearing the sound of vaporizing earth he knew Orphis was once again trying to attack him.

"**Where are you looking?" **Barely dodging to the side the wind pressure from the punch made everything behind Nero vaporize into nothingness. Looking at Orphis he saw the demon still in the stance of holding his punch out in front of him. Nero could literally see his aura with his own eyes. There was at least a mile of missing land and the mountain that was behind him was almost completely gone. The ground had embers and smoke spread everywhere from the friction of Orphis's fist. With his punch alone he caused a natural phenomenon. How was no one alerted by now with this destruction...unless they were in temporary limbo? Landing on the ground once again, Nero knew with someone like this he had to give it his all. There was no time for games against someone that had the potential to very well kill him if he slipped up. Reaching to his right arm sleeve he rolls it up.

"Sorry about this…but it looks like I can't hold back on someone like you after all…" slowly lifting his arm up, Orphis could feel tremendous power coming from it. A blue light started to cover the half-breeds right arm that made him stare in wonder. Just what was he hiding?

After the light died down Nero's arm took the shape of something demonic that glowed as true as the light that covered it. It was his Devil Bringer. Flexing his arm to get the feel for it from not using it in a while the white haired devil looked at Orphis with an unreadable expression.

"**What is that?" **Orphis asked as a weapon of some sort started to materialize in the boy's demonic hand. Orphis couldn't help but feel a bit weary of Nero now. The power the boy was releasing now is completely different compared to how it was before.

Using his incredible speed once more Orphis had his punch ready as it neared Nero's face from the side. He had to finish him off quickly.

"**You're finished!" **Throwing his punch at the stilled Nero made received an outcome he did not expect. When Orphis' punch almost made contact with the white haired devil an incredible invisible force repelled the damage of his attack back at him in full.

"**GUH!" **Being thrown back like a rail gun cannon, Orphis could see his arm was completely busted and hanging on by fibers of muscle. What the hell was that ability? He could have sworn he landed a direct hit on the boy. Looking back up to Nero…wait he's gone?

Orphis could feel a presence over him which made him look up to see the boy coming down towards his body. Nero reached out with his right hand as a spirit like substance shot from his demonic arm hitting Orphis in his chest. The impact of the hit caused the metallic demon to be slammed into the uneven earth causing an even greater crater. Nero still falling from the sky used his Devil Bringer to pin Orphis to the ground readying his next attack in hopes of damaging the demon. Nero knew that just holding him there wouldn't be enough to keep someone of Orohis' brute strength on the ground. With that he flipped his Belmont in a reverse grip while increasing the gravity over the demons body.

"**GRAH! W-WHAT IS THIS PRESSURE?" **Orphis continued to be pushed further and further into the ground. What incredible force! It was like sinking in quick sand. You had no hope of escaping. Nero then placed an "Air Hike" rune behind him as he used it to kick off towards the downed demon. His velocity reached hypersonic levels causing the air to explode from his speed. Slicing Belmont forward, Nero made contact with the demons neck area as the collateral damage from the attack gave the earth another earth quaking tremor. As the dust started to clear it only showed the demon to have a shallow cut around his neck.

"**You Bastard!"** Swinging at Nero with his other functioning arm once again, it only hit Nero's vector field causing a returning backlash.

"**GAAAH!"** Both arms now destroyed made Orphis look like his time would be over soon. Nero had to admit, this demon's skin was made out of some crazy durable substance. It was easily harder then thick diamond but the demon could move around so freely which made it hard to believe. Nero raised Belmont over his head as he looked down at the demon with a cold gaze. Something didn't feel right...

"**Rewrite." **Nero brought his sword down with great hast only stopping just before his blade hit the demon's neck again. Nero and the damaged environment started to reverse. Wounds, damage, earth…everything was set back to the way it was before Nero destroyed Orphis' first arm. Nero was back to standing in the spot that he once was with a sense of déjà vu. It would seem that ten minutes have passed giving Orphis the ability to reuse his power.

"Why does this seem so familiar?" He could swear he was in this exact same spot as he looked over to Orphis who was flexing his renewed limbs.

"**That power of yours is quite dangerous. I won't make the same mistake again."** Orphis then looked at Nero who seemed slightly confused. Something was very wrong here. Orphis dashed at Nero once more but instead of throwing a punch he grabbed his left arm. Nero snapped his finger causing his gravity to slam in the spot Orphis once was. The metallic demon disappeared from his vision completely causing Nero to feel unbelievable power from behind him. Turning his head he could see a punch already near his face.

"Shit" Dodging his head to the side the best he could, Nero couldn't escape the force of the blow behind the attack. The punch created a vacuum effect that completely destroyed Nero's clothes above his waist. The wind pressure then blasted him back like a rifle as he smashed against the remains of what was once an entire mountain. Orphis' ability can stretch to however long he desires as long as he can provide enough demonic energy. The demon purposely only covered enough space for him and Nero to be effected by his magic. A foot, meters, miles…it did not matter.

"**Get up kin of Sparda. We will settle this fight here and now!" **Nero could be seen slowly coming out of the rubble that his body helped create. This was annoying. Nero didn't want to abuse his ability because of the drawback in regards to stopping his heart. Blood could be viewed trailing down the side of Nero's head as he got to his feet.

"Oh well, I guess I have no choice…" Closing his eyes he started manipulating the vectors around him. His hair started to slowly stand up on its own as he started to walk forward in an attempt to meet Orphis head on. Every footstep he took caused the earth under his feet to buckle in submission. Orphis raised his hand towards Nero in an attempt to invite his assault.

"**COME!" **Each one jumping at the other, disappearing from sight. The sonic boom and vibrating earth shook throughout the area as they engaged one another.

* * *

Around the same time this happened, Miyuki was at the Shiba residents and couldn't stop thinking about what happened at Yakumo's place. She was currently on her bed in nothing but her underwear and bra, as she tossed and turned around. She couldn't sleep. The girl could only quietly stare at her ceiling before looking down at the gift she received from her supposed little sibling. Miyuki grasped it tightly as she brought it closer to her chest happily. She would bring this with her everywhere she went no matter what. This was a strange new feeling to her. Something inside the girl was building up and she liked it. She could not help but think about the white haired teen and his younger sister. Many things and thoughts were roaming through her mind at once. As she continued thinking about it, time went by without her noticing as she slowly started closing her eyes. Finally the Shiba princess felt like she was succumbing to her sleep as the world around her was succumbed to darkness.

* * *

Nero had enough of this. Balling his fist, he covered it in a vector field that had the properties of a high frequency blade but destructive force of a bomb. He intends to end the fight as quickly as possible. His heart couldn't stay in stasis forever. Orphis could literally feel the power coming from the boy's fist. He knew he couldn't take something like that head on. He had to counter! Nero threw his punch outward in the direction of Orphis who disappeared once again. Wait…what is this? Nero's punch seemed to disfigure the air. The air itself looked like it was being warped by an invisible vortex.

"**W-WHAT IS THIS!?" **Orphis could feel his being getting sucked into the half-breeds attack. He could see Nero escape away from him trying to create distance between them. Pumping all of his demonic energy into his right arm Nero shoots out towards Orphis once again. Orphis knew…he couldn't dodge this. He had three more minutes until his next use of his power. He knew he might not survive this attack.

"HAAH!" Nero screams as he punches a hole through the chest of Orphis where his heart would be.

"**GHHAH!" **The demon coughed up a pool of blood as some of it landed on Nero's unreadable features. They both stood there quietly as the sound of the wind blowing past them went through the night. Orphis slowly reaches up and grabs Nero's arm as he grinned wickedly at the teen.

"**It looks like you really are worthy of that cursed bloodline. Mark my words kin of Sparda, this is only the beginning of the end!" **With that Orphis' big hand slips off and falls lifelessly to his side. Nero's arm started to glow a bright white as power started to flow within him. What was this feeling? Right now Nero was the only thing keeping Orphis from falling to the ground. Closing his eyes Nero releases a tired sigh from his mouth as he let the lifeless form of the demon fall next to him. Orphis' body started to decompose and wither away into the night breeze. Looking at his hand Nero could see a blue seal appear on his left forearm before quickly disappearing. Nero could see himself giving off a powerful white aura before it went away as fast as it appeared. Looking around and taking in all the damage that was done thanks to his recent battle, Nero had an idea pop into his head.

"I wonder if I could…" Bringing up his hand slowly he quickly snaps his fingers.

"Rewrite…" Time stopped for an instant. Slowly everything started working in reverse around him. Thankfully he absorbed Orphis' power or else the demon might have returned as well. Piece by piece, rock, trees, the mountain, and his clothes…all of it reformed to the way it was before the battle even took place. Nero looked down at his hands. He just gained a new ability from absorbing the demons demonic powers. This was something he noticed his devil bringer had as an innate ability. Every time he touched something long enough he could absorb its power and make it his own. Reverting his arm back to its human form, he felt he needed to hurry and find Elena. That was five miles back in town so he had to dash there quickly.

"Wait for me…Elena"

Little did Nero know that someone was watching him with binoculars as he ran out of the limbo boundary field.

"That looked like some sort of magical barrier. And that school uniform…" The long red haired figure said with golden eyes that shined behind her mask.

"I knew I felt something strange. That must be the identified family of Sir Redgrave that Morrison mentioned to me?" The person said as they lost sight of Nero with his incredible speed.

"He's fast!" She needed to get to the bottom of this for sure. Remembering his school uniform an idea popped into her head but that would have to wait for another day.

"Commencing Mission." Tucking her binoculars back into her blue coat pocket she dashes off in the direction she saw him heading. She would follow him and see just what was he up to.

As Nero finally reached the location he left his sister at, he found the little girl crunched up in a ball hiding behind a tree. You could hear her whimpering showing how scared she was. Nero slowly walked over to the girl as his footsteps gained her attention. Looking up at the noise, Elena noticed him walking towards her.

"O-onii-san!" The girl quickly got up from the ground and ran into him as she cried.

"Onii-san you're ok!" Rubbing her head gently Nero gave her a soft smile as he tried his best to reassure the girl.

"I told you didn't I Elena? I promised you I would be right back so everything will be alright." His words seemed to help the girl calm down a bit but she was still distressed from the whole situation. Masking her presence nearby with magic, the red haired figure could be seen spying on the two siblings. As she watched the scene from her spot she unconsciously gained a soft expression from the exchange. To the redhead it looked like a brother only trying to comfort his scared little sibling. She brought her hand up to her head as she sighed while shuffling through her hair. Her mission was to monitor the boy but this felt like an invasion of their privacy. Slowly backing away from the tree she was hiding behind, she felt that for now she would let them be and continue her mission some other time. It was getting late anyway. Turning around once more to look at the handsome boy she gained a small and barely noticeable smile before quietly walking into the shadows.

The next day comes as Nero was in his own world still thinking about the fight he had yesterday. He suddenly runs into Erika as he was on his way to school after dropping Elena off at Yakumo's again that morning.

"Good morning Nero..." Erika said happily before noticing he seemed more distance than usual.

"What's wrong…are you ok?" She asked causing him to be knocked out of his thoughts.

"Oh…Erika…" his slow reaction caused her to raise her brow in wonder. What was going on with him today? He seemed so spaced out and it didn't really feel like the same boy she knew.

"And what side of the bed did you wake up on this morning Angelo? Teasing him a bit which received her desired reaction and brought more life to him again.

"Would it matter? You make it seem like we share the same bed…" Nero countered as this made Erika blush.

"H-hey now!" Nero smirked at her playful nature. It did help him forget about his problems at the moment so even if she was mildly mouthy, he was grateful. He started to wave her off as he continued to walk towards the school with redhead following right behind him.

When they both arrived at the front gate, Nero and Erika were making their way through the courtyard. Many eyes were on the pair as they tried to ignore them as best they could. A little off to the side you could see Tatsuya and Miyuki were accompanied by some of the members of the student council. The group seemed to spot them as they made their way toward the main building. Miyuki silently watched the pair while she suddenly halted her conversation with Mari. Mayumi also noticed Nero and Erika as they walked further away. A thought came to her mind as a small smirk covered her beautiful features. She would get back at him for what he did the other day if it was the last thing Mayumi did. As the girl made her way over to both Nero and Erika, Mayumi's action caused the other members of the council to look on in wonder or with others, interest. Miyuki looked over to the red eyed girl and saw the direction she was heading. As Mayumi started to pick up pace, she wanted to make sure she caught the boy off guard. She takes her arm and wrapped it around his own making Nero look down at the girl in wonder.

"Oh Nero-kun, it's so good to see you." She softly leaned her head onto his arm causing Nero to raise his brow at the action. He could see a bit of her face and almost instantly knew from her smirking face she was up to something. Erika looked on with a gaping mouth and the others within the council group had different reactions as well. Tatsuya only sighed to himself knowing good and well what Mayumi was probably up to. He could tell as soon as he saw the look in her eyes once she noticed the white haired teen arrived at school that she would try and pay Nero back for the other day. Miyuki's finger slightly twitched from watching the exchange that just occurred. Her face was also unconsciously accompanied by a frown.

"You don't mind if I stay like this a bit longer do you Nero-kun?" The president asked in a flirty tone that caused the boy to close his eyes and give his own small smirk. Two could play this game then.

"Not at all. You can stay there as long as you want." Nero said. She looked into his eyes a bit surprised from his reply. That wasn't the reaction she was expecting. She was hoping he would be a fumbling mess by now but he wasn't even fazed by her feminine charms.

"You know Mayumi…if it wasn't for the fact that we had other people around…I would have you all to myself." Nero said but in a way that made it incredibly hard to tell if he was joking or being completely serious. It was always like that with him. You couldn't really ever tell what he was thinking in that head of his. Mayumi blinked a few times trying to process what she just heard. When his words were finally de-coded by her brain, it caused Mayumi to blush madly, quickly forcing her to let go of his arm flustered.

"W-w-w-what are you saying all of a sudden?" Nero stared at her trying his best to keep his face from smiling.

"What's with that face? I meant what I said. After all, I belong to you as much as you belong to me." Erika was holding her mouth at the look on Mayumi's face. It was priceless. She could feel the boy was teasing the girl but man was he good at it. She was going to blow with laughter at any moment.

"…." Mayumi's mouth was moving like a fish out of water but no words would come out. Her obvious embarrassed state didn't go unnoticed by her council members either. Her plan had backfired horribly. Tatsuya just shook his head. He saw that coming from a mile away and the president set herself up for that one. Miyuki started to unknowingly let off a cold draft as she looked at the two while the small orange haired girl noticed her friend\president was having a bit of trouble. That had to be the boy she heard so many things about around the school.

Azusa was finally meeting the person who she heard gossip about in regards to being a foreigner. And even though they heard rumors about his good looks, she had no idea he was **this** level of handsome. With his silky white hair and ocean blue eyes she was holding her hands clasped together with stars in her pupils. Suzune who usually doesn't make many facial expressions, had the decency to blush a pink hue as she took in the handsome devils appearance. To her it wasn't just how good looking he was. No, it was more than that. She was focused on how well he carried himself, almost as if he oozed charisma. Now she could see why Mayumi found herself interested with him. He was leagues above the other boys here at this school in that department. Mari looked over to her friend to see that sure enough, Mayumi still had a noticeable blush on her face as she looked at the boy. So what everyone said the other day was true then?

"Whoa…you're so handsome! You're a foreigner right, where from?" Azusa asked excitedly as she jumped up and down excitedly.

"I'm from Fortuna in the USNA." Nero stated, gaining more starry eyes from the girl as Suzune also came to ask him some questions of her own. Fortuna? That was the location that founded the Order of the Sword. Everyone just learned a new bit of information from the boy.

"Whoa! You're from the place that started The Order? I always wanted to go there and visit! Is it every bit of what its said to be?" Nero's gaze softened a little bit as he thought about his home.

"Yeah it is…" Miyuki stared him from the side in wonder. To think that Nero was from a place like that growing up? She then looked to her brother and noticed he was in deep thought himself. So his suspicions about Nero weren't wrong. There was something he was hiding and Tatsuya knew it.

"By the way, I'm Azusa Nakajou and this is Suzune Ichihara. It's nice to meet you Angelo-san!" The two girls gave him a quick bow. Nero just weakly waved off their polite gesture. He didn't really care for formalities that much.

"Nero Angelo. And just Nero is fine…" Nero was soon after bombarded with questions while the others looked at how he calmly and effectively answered them casually. Seems like he was a natural at this kind of thing?

Among all of this Erika spotted both Tatsuya and Miyuki within the group as she waved to greet the siblings. You could see that the girl purposely avoided Mari on her way over to them. Wonder what that's about?

"Oh hey Tatsuya, Miyuki. How are you this morning?" The redhead asked as Tatsuya gave the girl a small smile as she approached them.

"So far I can't complain. Plus we all were given a front row seat to our president's flustered state." Tatsuya said low enough for only the three of them to hear. Erika lightly giggled in her hand completely agreeing with him. This morning has already started off on a good note for sure. Erika then looked over to Miyuki and noticed that the girl's attention was still occupied on the group who were in the middle of talking to Nero. A smirk appeared on Erika's face as she stealthily slid next to the female Shiba. Erika carefully covered her mouth with her hand so no one could hear what she would say to the girl next.

"What's this…is our Miyuki-san jealous perhaps?" She whispered causing Miyuki's eyes to slowly widen, blushing slightly, turning her head to the side and closing eyes. She let out a cute huff showing that she was definitely bothered by something. Was she mad?

"I'm sorry Erika-san, but you must be mistaken. I was only curious about the topic they were discussing between one another." Erika blinked blankly at her friends actions before her face returned back to her well-known sinister smile.

"Erika, would you please refrain yourself from teasing my sister so early in the morning?" Tatsuya said as he sighed deeply. Shrugging to herself, Erika felt it was best to drop her teasing for now. As she looked back at Miyuki she gave the girl and apologetic expression as she clapped her hands together before slightly bowing her head.

"Sorry Miyuki, I just couldn't resist messing with you at least once today." Miyuki looked back at the girl while giving her a warm smile. Miyuki felt it was just Erika trying to mess with her but she wouldn't admit some things were bothering her a bit. However, it had nothing to do with what the redhead said to her...

"It's quite alright Erika-san. I know you were only teasing me." Giving Miyuki a grateful smile, Erika saw something she didn't notice before.

"Whoa…Miyuki, that necklace is beautiful!" This made the girl in question blush a bit more as she used her hand to cup said item in her delicate hand.

"Thank you Erika-san. I also think it's beautiful…" Miyuki said as her vision slowly traveled back to the white haired devil. Erika saw the action but decided to ignore it for the time being. Miyuki again remembered the scene of her and Nero receiving their gifts from her younger sibling. A small and beautiful smile found its way across the Shiba sisters face once again. She didn't say anything about it, but she noticed Nero was also wearing his half of the necklace. Tatsuya just reached over to his sister and placed his hand on her shoulder with a smile of his own.

"Let's go Miyuki. We shouldn't be late for class." nodding in understanding, Miyuki agreed that it was time to be productive as she wondered if the rest of the council members were ready to go.

"Well it looks like they're finishing up now so I'll see you two later. Especially you Tatsuya!" Erika said waving to the siblings before running over to catch up with Nero. As Miyuki looked back in their direction she could see Nero and Erika finally trying to escape the council group's assault. Azusa could be seen waving happily at the white and red haired duo's retreating forms as they went their own way. Seems like the small orange haired girl took quite a liking to Nero if her facial expression was anything to go by. Mayumi was still pouting since Mari was teasing her about her failed attempt that backfired. It was glorious.

Miyuki could see that the white haired devil was slowly but surely becoming more and more popular. It was something that was unavoidable when it came down to the type of person Nero was. People just gravitated around him and his charming nature regardless of his tough and distant attitude. Averting her vision to her brother, Miyuki felt it was best to forget about things like that for now.

"Shall we go Onii-sama?" A beautiful smile covered the Shiba princess' face as her brother nodded his head in agreement.

"Let's go"

* * *

It was a long day for Tatsuya Shiba. Tatsuya was just leaving the meeting the discipline committee held before being confronted by the brown haired male Shun Morisaki who didn't like the fact Tatsuya was showing off in front of everyone. Not too long after that Tatsuya ran into Erika before saving the poor girl from a group of people trying to get her to join their club while asking how she knew the "Handsome Zero" personally.

Tatsuya then ended up having to break up a fight from the kendo class while using his superior martial arts and cast jamming to end it without casualties or anyone getting hurt. He was now standing in front of the heads of the Council as he explained what happened so things would not get out of hand. But even though he didn't want to admit it, the male Jyumonji Katsuto had an intimidating aura around him. Maybe not as much as Nero, but he still put Tatsuya a bit on edge. After he was finished with his duties for the day, time flew by rather quickly. It was already time to head home and what a day it has been for him.

Tatsuya found himself meeting up with his sister Miyuki and the others as the rest of the group consisted of Erika, Mizuki, Leo and Shiemi. The group seemed to come to an agreement that they would go to the café on their way home that evening. Erika saw a familiar head of snow white hair and waved over to the boy to get his attention. Even she knew it wouldn't be a day out with friends without the boy. There was also something she wanted to tell him but she would save it for when she could embarrass him in front of everyone. That to Erika made the entire trip worth the effort.

"Hey Nero, want to come with us to the café on our way home? I'm sure it will be fun." Erika asked as Nero stopped to face them. From the look on his face he looked almost regretful.

"Sorry, as fun as that sounds I'm a bit tied up tonight. Maybe some other time." Turning back around he waves over his shoulder like always as he walked off of the school grounds.

"And there he goes..." Erika spoke as if she saw it coming. Tatsuya and Miyuki understood Nero's circumstances regarding his sister or should Miyuki say "their" sister. In some way the Shiba sister felt conflicted and wanted to go see the girl as well but she had already agreed to go out with Erika and the others that evening. Shiemi who was standing next to Erika watched sadly as Nero went his separate way as the shy blonde wondered to herself what it could be that had him so busy. It wasn't any of her business but she hoped that everything was ok. But even then, truth be told, she was deeply wishing that he would have come with them to the café. She has become so used to his presence being near her that it was rather weird to Shiemi if he wasn't around. She couldn't explain what she was quite feeling but whenever she was able to see Nero it just felt like everything would be alright. Courage, confidence or self-esteem, Shiemi knew she had neither but Nero being by her side made her feel like he filled those missing traits within herself. He was the first person to not only become her friend but also to accept her for who she was even with all of her flaws. Watching him leave her almost made Shiemi feel…vulnerable. But why was that? She had friends that made her happy, that could make her laugh and smile or even share their happiness together so why…why does she feel so alone as the person she admires the most walks further away from her?

"I'm sure Nero has good reason for declining us Erika. Maybe he will accompany us next time?" Tatsuya said as they all started to walk to the café together. As Miyuki engaged with conversation with her brother and friends, some part of her was also wondering how the white haired siblings were fairing.

* * *

As the group made it to the café they talked amongst one another in regards to their day at school. Miyuki and her brother Tatsuya were acting all weird again as they teased the others. It was more so teasing Mizuki since the girl believed the two were being sincere about their taboo feelings for each other. Erika and Leo only shook their heads from the whole ordeal. If Erika knew any better she would think they really were lovers. Mizuki gently placed her mug back down while in deep thought about something that's been on her mind.

"I hope everything's ok with Nero-san. He seemed to be in such a hurry this evening…" Mizuki mentioned as the group all had different expressions to her statement.

"Yeah, you're right Mizuki-chan. Wait…you don't think it was because of a girl do you?" Erika asked as this made Leo hit his hand in his palm as if a light bulb went off in his head.

"You know…that could very well be the case." Leo said aloud. Shiemi was starting to feel extremely uncomfortable talking about this topic. The girl was just using her spoon to quietly stir her cup of tea while trying her best to keep her composure. Just the thought of that being true made a weird feeling in her stomach arise. She wasn't sure exactly what it was but she knew one thing and that was the fact that it didn't feel very good.

"Erika-san, I don't think Nero is that kind of person." Shiemi spoke softly. Even though her redheaded friend was most likely joking about the whole thing she was in a way still implying that Nero was some sort of womanizer. If there was one thing that Shiemi was sure about it was that Nero wasn't that type of guy. Erica gave Shiemi a glance over as she inspected her friends appearance. Whatever she said probably didn't sit too well with the shy girl but a bit of Erika wanted to know why exactly that was the case. A smile slowly plastered its way on her features as she continued to stare at the girl in question. "Yeah, yeah I know. I was just kidding but you can't blame me for being at least a little bit curious."

Miyuki was looking at the exchange of chatter as it went back and forth. That couldn't be his reason for not accompanying them…could it? Shaking her head slowly she thought about the possibilities. He had a lot on his plate as it was and she knew little Elena wouldn't want him to take too long returning home from school.

"I wonder who this girl is if he can't even introduce us to her?" Erika asked as her hand was under her chin, using her arm as a support. Suddenly her playful smile retuned on her face while an idea popped into her head.

"Or maybe he and Saegusa-san are out on a date?"

*SNAP!* The sound of something breaking caused everyone to look around in confusion. Miyuki heard it as well as she looked around herself in wonder before turning back around. As she did so, she noticed everyone was staring in her direction. Wait, why were they all looking at her like that?

Tatsuya looked at his sister as well, noticing her odd behavior.

"What's wrong?" Miyuki asked her friends as Erika pointed downward towards Miyuki's hands. Looking down, Miyuki started to lightly blush in embarrassment. In her hand was the broken handle of her coffee mug she was drinking from. She didn't even recall ever doing such an action. What in the world just happened?

"I'm terribly sorry…" Miyuki said softly. What was happening to her?

"It's fine Miyuki, accidents happen to everyone." Tatsuya said as he kindly took her mug and walked toward the counter to get her a new one.

"Thank you Onii-sama." Miyuki's vision just looked to the side confused.

"Yeah, Miyuki-san, it's ok. I'm clumsy all the time so don't feel bad." Mizuki said trying to help cheer the girl up a bit more. It was all so strange to her. She unconsciously broke something without even realizing it. Miyuki looked back up at the glasses wearing girl with a small smile.

"Thank you Mizuki-san. Maybe I just have a lot on my mind. I apologize if I startled any of you." Miyuki now slightly bowing her head to them. After seeing her sincere apology everyone just kindly waved off the matter. It wasn't that big a deal to begin with in the first place but it was a tad strange from her reaction. After Tatsuya returned back with her new mug of coffee the group proceeded to make light conversation until it was time for them to go their separate ways. One can only wonder what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

Around the same time there was a group of people sitting around a big table as all of their faces were blacked out by the shadows. They seemed to be talking about the death of one of their undercover cultist that was killed a few weeks ago.

"I'm telling you, whoever killed her must know more then they need too. And you try to tell me no one has found this person yet?" Someone asked annoyed since the very female that Nero killed was an undercover spy for this secret organization.

"I'll handle it, so stop worrying" a mocking voice said that sounded young like someone in their early twenties

"You better…if news of this gets out we'll…" someone started but was cut off again by the same mocking voice but this time it was deadly serious.

"Didn't I say…I'll handle it?"

"Yes….well, do be sure to take care of this debacle."

"Count on it."

* * *

**Chapter End.**

**Hope you all enjoyed it and until next time.**

**Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**(The Truth: Uverworld)**

Chapter 3

(Rivals of Affection)

* * *

"Yaahhhhh!" *Yawn* A cute yawn escaped. Mornings in general definitely weren't her cup of tea. Even still to this very day she would rather just hibernate until she felt like getting up. Getting out of bed, she stretches out her stiff muscles that screamed of recent abuse. After all, her recent training routine has been rather harsh lately. However, she would only train to such an extent if there was something bothering her or on her mind. She must be doing it unconsciously most of the time. Nevertheless, she would always end up overexerting herself when her thoughts were cluttered. She couldn't help it. It was just a way for her to deprive herself of her unwanted thoughts and focus on other things that were more important. Now making her way to her bathroom, she turns on the light and strides her way to the mirror. She looked horrible. It looked like she just went five rounds with Nero's fangirls that would always jump her for info about the handsome teen.

"Haahhhh…"She could only give a closed eyed sigh at the traumatizing torture of repeated interrogation. She felt a shiver go down her spine just remembering the hectic event. Man was that school a lot scarier than she could have ever imagined. Still looking at herself in her mirror, she could see the strain on her face. Wait…strain? That wasn't her at all. She was the "happy go lucky" cheerful and pretty girl might she add.

"Pttff, and he says I'm a tomboy...Idiot. I'll show that pretty boy!" Then Nero once again came to her mind. But she could not deny that he was always so calm and collected, cool and even mysterious.

She looked up again to see that her reflection. She was actually happy to be around her friends. It was an amazing feeling to escape all this family drama when it came to being associated with the ten clans. In addition, as friendly as she is, Erika was still a girl with insecurities. She was confident in just about everything else but…her body. Looking down at her chest, she frowns again as reality hit her once again. Compared to her friends she felt like she was lacking in major areas. She was behind them in terms of their figure but she knew she was still a growing girl after all. Yeah, that's it! She just needs a little more time to even out. Shaking her head to focus, she then smacks her puffy flushed cheeks to forget about that stuff for now. Yeah, today was going to be a fruitful day indeed.

"Alright! Something good will happen today. I'm sure of it!" She clapped her hands together with a smile now creeping up onto her face. Nodding her head in satisfaction, this is the Erika Chiba she knew. It was her character to be cheerful and carefree so anything else just wouldn't do.

"Guess I should get ready for school then. If I hurry maybe Nero and I can walk together again to the train station on our way to school." Erika says aloud to herself with gusto. After getting ready and eating breakfast she makes her way out the door.

"I'm off!" she called out letting her siblings know of her departure. Erika did not know what it was but she could not help this feeling of building up excitement in her chest.

* * *

The Shiba residence also seemed to be preparing themselves to leave for their school day. It would seem that the Shiba sister was deep in thought about something. She couldn't help but think about what Erika and the others were talking about when they all ventured to the café.

Grabbing at the necklace around her slender neck, she looks at it with a longing gaze. It was beautiful. Something so valuable yet priceless was given to her by her **supposed **little sister out of love. No matter what, she would make sure to cherish it forever with all her might.

*Knock, Knock, Knock*

"Miyuki are you ready to leave for school?" The voice of her brother Tatsuya asked from behind her room door startling her a bit.

"Y-yes Onii-sama, I'll be out in one moment." opening her room door, Miyuki sees that her brother was waiting patiently for her.

"You seem like you have something on your mind?" Tatsuya noticed.

"Actually, I do. I've been thinking that I finally realized how you've felt about me all these years. Having Elena-chan come into my life has shown me what it truly means to have a younger sibling in a sense. And right now…all I want is to see her more than anything." Miyuki couldn't stop thinking about the little girl last night. It was weighing heavily on her mind to the point that her sleep wasn't as good as it usually is.

"It's a bit late now but I'm sure we could stop by Yakumo's on our way home from school if you want?" pushing those thoughts to the back of her head for now was probably the best course of action. She turned her vision to her brother, giving him a small yet sweet smile.

"I'd like that Onii-sama." Tatsuya returned a barely noticeable smile before walking past her.

"Let us go then…Miyuki." Miyuki's smile now returned to her soft features.

"Yes, Onii-sama."

* * *

Our white haired devil for some reason couldn't help this feeling of someone talking about him or being watched. But he could only shrug it off for now. Still, the continuous eyes on him and Elena were starting to get really annoying. Every time he would make his way to Yakumo's temple to drop her off for school it was always "Look at how cute they are! Isn't she just adorable!" or "Oh my, what a handsome and kind brother you are."

Nero was never one to be cocky or prideful in regards of his looks. He couldn't help the way he came into this world. Truthfully, he didn't even think he looked all that great. He did not see what the big deal was? Yet other men, especially with their girlfriends or wives would look at him with hate or jealousy. Was it because he was an obvious foreigner? The girls or women would of course stare at him and ignore their spouse causing Nero to gain hostility from the males. If they only knew they had nothing to worry about. He did not want any of them. Yet he was still viewed as a clear potential threat. To the men he was a breathing abomination.

Oh well, it's not like he cared anyway. That is their problem to figure out. He has already dropped Elena off at Yakumo's this morning. She of course did not want to see him leave. However, at the same time Yakumo has started to grow on the girl. He was sure she wanted to see Miyuki as well, but he told her that Miyuki would come around when she had the time. Her sad face made him rethink his words. Man was he terrible at this kind of thing. Rubbing his hand through his hair, it was hard being an older brother that's for sure. But he couldn't help but also feel like she has become more to him then he would have ever imagined. It really does feel like he has a family now. It was also surprising to him when she gave him and Miyuki their pendent halves. It was definitely special to him since Elena was the one to give it to him.

He just needed to make sure he made it to school on time. As he continued on his way to the train station he was greeted by a familiar voice. One that he has grown accustomed to over the few weeks as well.

"Hey Nero wait up!" Turning his head, he sees Erika running up to him with her usual smile and good mood.

"Erika, as energetic as ever I see." Nero said in his normal tone of voice causing the girl to cutely pout at him.

"Well, if I'm not who would be? I'm one of a kind you know. You would do well to remember it." She said standing straighter and sticking her chest out in triumph.

"Indeed, you are one of a kind." Nero said cause her to glare at him.

"Hey! What were you just implying?" Erika asked with slight irritation.

"Nothing really, I wouldn't dare speak against you." Nero said in mockingly gaining a nod of approval from Erika.

"At least you know your place in this world. And with that, I suggest we hurry before we're late for school." This girl…he had to admit it was never boring with her around. They would always get into witty arguments from time to time.

"Now come on and stop dragging your feet." Erika said as she started to push Nero toward their destination with a smile. She loved messing with him. It was one of the main reasons she looked forward to the next day of school.

"Wait! Erika I can walk on my own!" surprised by her forceful gesture Nero did not see that coming that's for sure.

"Oh quiet you!" Erika couldn't help herself. This was just so much fun!

* * *

Miyuki and Tatsuya have just arrived at the train station waiting to board. Miyuki liked these calm and relaxing mornings. Nothing to worry her or think too hard about. But she was wondering how Elena was doing this morning. Hopefully Elena wouldn't worry too much while she's away? She could feel her cheeks warming up again.

So this is what it felt like to have a younger sibling? To be able to worry and care for them. It felt…good. A burning feeling in her chest that she couldn't quite explain was ever present. Without a doubt this was the feelings of having the responsibility that came with being an older sibling. The only problem was the fact that she wasn't able to look after Elena while being separated from her like this. Maybe this is how her older brother Tatsuya felt about her, or maybe how Nero felt about Elena? Once again, the white haired boy pops into her mind. She still wondered about him.

Miyuki could only imagine what Nero had to go through every time he dropped the little girl off at Yakumo's place before he headed to school. Actually, now that she thought about it, did Nero and Elena even have any parents? This realization brought a look of uneasiness on the Shiba sister's features. Miyuki knew it was overstepping her boundaries but this was just something she felt…no, something she wanted to find out. It just wouldn't sit right with her if she didn't. Her curiosity was so bad she could have sworn she could hear Nero's voice…wait?

"Aren't you being a bit too rough Erika? And to think that this whole time you were into these kinds of fetishes."

"HEY! I'll let you know that I have the soft hands of a pure maiden. You should be honored to have been graced with such a fine compliment." Erika retorts with pride and a teasing smile to match.

Miyuki watched them quietly. Looking at how both of them engaged with one another as they went back and forth. Suddenly, Erika saw Tatsuya and Miyuki out the corner of her eyes. Did they just get there as well?

"Miyuki, Tatsuya good morning!" Erika called out waving to the two Shiba siblings. This caused Nero to look in Miuyki and Tatsuya's direction. His vision landed specifically on the beautiful Shiba sibling standing with her brother.

"Good morning Erika-san, Nero-san." Miyuki bowed politely with a forced small smile.

"Good morning you two." Tatsuya stated with a nod.

"Miyuki, Tatsuya…" Nero greeted before closing his eyes in silence. Miyuki looked at the white haired devil quietly with a silent stare. A small frown found its way on her face again. There he goes. That was something she has come to expect by now. She noticed that he always does that when he didn't want to be bothered. But that was until he looked towards her direction with an expression that looked uncertain. Miyuki watched as he then turned his vision away from her once more. The look on his face almost made it seem like he was contemplating if he wanted to say something to her or not. A part of her wished he would have just said what was on his mind.

"Erika-chan, everyone good morning." They all turned to see Mizuki walking up to them.

"Hey! Mizuki-chan!" Erika walked over to greet the girl happily.

"Good morning." everyone else said in almost perfect sync. As Erika was talking to her, she noticed her friend looked somewhat red.

"Hey Mizuki, are you feeling well today? Maybe you should have stayed home instead of coming to school. You look like you are catching something." Erika stated as she looked concerned for her friend who tried to wave off her worries.

"N-no, no! It's not that, it's just…" Mizuki's eyes seemed to linger over to where Nero was standing. Her cheeks were definitely getting darker.

"But you're breathing all hard and everything. You sure you're ok?" Erika pushed further causing her friend to squeak in surprise. She did not know she was breathing that loud! It's not her fault!

"E-Erika-chan! I-I'm fine I promise!" Flustered she rapidly swings her arms only adding to her cute and embarrassed demeanor. Mizuki could only pout cutely after Erika started to tease her. That was not funny.

After the episode with Mizuki was over, they all found a nice spacious place to sit down. Nero chose to sit near the window while Miyuki and Tatsuya were next to him. On the other side were Erika and Mizuki who were engaged in conversation with Tatsuya. Miyuki listened to them but her attention traveled towards Nero from time to time as he continued to look out the window in boredom with his elbow propped up and his chin in his hand. The way he looked at her not too long ago was almost like he had something to say so it was still fresh in her mind.

"Hey, Miyuki…" Nero suddenly called out to her softly as he seemed to be the one to start up the conversation between the two. This actually caught Miyuki off guard a bit. The way he spoke was low enough that only she could hear what he was saying.

"Yes Nero-san, what's wrong?" Miyuki asked.

"Listen, I'm terrible at these kinds of things…" Miyuki tilted her head cutely in wonder as she waited patiently for him to continue.

"But would you be willing to visit Elena after school today? She has been asking about you non-stop this morning so I'm sure it would make her happy to see you again. That's if you're not too busy…" Nero said scratching his cheek as he looked to the side towards the window again. He felt like he was already asking too much of the Shiba sister but it was something that was on his mind. In his eyes, this was a favor he would definitely have to owe her down the road. Returning his gaze back to Miyuki, he awaited her answer. A small smile found its way on Miyuki's face. That little gesture of his was pretty cute. It's rare to see someone like Nero act this way. Seeing that even he had a side like this was a bit refreshing.

"Of course Nero-san. I was already intending to make that my next stop after school today anyway. I don't think I would be able to go home without seeing Elena-chan. She has been on my mind lately as well." Miyuki said honestly as she looked deep into his blue eyes. Nero looked at her for a few seconds without saying a word. He could only close his eyes with a small, barely noticeable smile.

"Thank you Miyuki. It seems like I owe you one."

"How so?" Miyuki asked softly as she continued to look at him with intrigued eyes.

"I may be her brother…but to Elena, you are also her beloved older sister. In her eyes, you mean as much to Elena as I do. So much so, that it's clear she would not be satisfied unless you were also there to comfort her. I'm sure that just you being there for Elena makes her happy. And when she is happy, that's really all I could hope for. I don't know. I can't really explain it, but I am grateful to you Miyuki." Miyuki sat there still as she stared incredulously at Nero. A small pink hue coated her cheeks as she averted her attention slightly while grabbing at her necklace.

"I-it's ok. You don't have to thank me…"

Tatsuya was actually to himself most of the ride but he could hear both parties talking here and there. He especially listened in when Nero started to converse with his sister. It was really none of his business but he was just being on the safe side. Miyuki was his little sister after all. In addition, he still did not feel quite comfortable around the white haired devil as of yet. He would take side glances every once and awhile to see his sister wearing a warm smile with slightly flushed cheeks.

But he wasn't the only one who noticed this. Erika and Mizuki looked over to see the beautiful Shiba sibling in a conversation with Nero. Erika was now very curious. Just what were the two of them talking about anyway? She continued to look on not noticing her normal smiling face was now replaced with a small frown.

There were questions the Shiba princess wanted to ask that has been bothering her recently. It was ever since that very morning that her mind continued to play it over and over again. She wanted to know.

"Ner …"

*Bing* "Attention passengers, we have arrived at our next stop. Please be careful as you exit." Miyuki was interrupted by the announcement over the intercom. Unfortunately her question was cut a bit short. It would seem that it was time for them to get off. Miyuki could swear that nothing wanted her to find out more in regards to the boy next to her. She guessed it would just have to wait for now.

After getting off the train they all started to make their way to the First High school building up ahead. On the way there they were greeted with the attention of unwanted spectators.

"Look its Miss Shiba-san! She's as beautiful as always." Some students were saying as they walked past.

"Why would she be hanging around that odd group in the first place? And isn't that the Handsome Zero?" This caused Miyuki and Erika's brow to twitch in irritation.

"Who were they calling odd/Handsome Zero?" They both asked in their heads. This school gossip was getting out of hand over the past few days.

"Good morning everyone!" Another familiar voice hit their ears. It belonged to the student council president Mayumi Saegusa. Nero couldn't really tell exactly what it was but there was definitely something different about her today. While Nero noticed this realization he also realized that Mayumi was giving him a silent yet beautiful and sincere smile. Raising his brow at the action caused the girl to close her eyes and move her attention back to the rest of the group. What the hell was that all about?

"Good morning/Morning…." everyone said in union. Miyuki noticed the action as she stared at the girl quietly. The look she just gave Nero was almost as if she actually came to terms about something. The Shiba sister had a feeling on the possibility of what it was thanks to the other day but it wasn't good to assume things without having any concrete evidence.

"Miyuki-san, Tatsuya-san, I was hoping I could borrow you two if that's alright?" Mayumi asked the Shiba siblings gaining a small nod from Tatsuya.

"Of course Saegusa–san." Miyuki answered politely. Nero hearing this thought it was as good a time as any to split the group up. They we're going their separate ways anyway so what better time than now? They would probably be late if they stood there any longer.

"That must be our queue to get to class." Nero said lazily as he turned and started to walk off.

"Hey Nero wait up!" Erika called out catching up to him with Mizuki following in suit. Miyuki looked on as they headed off to their classrooms. Then, the voice of Mayumi called out to the group as she stared at one person in particular.

"Enjoy your school day you three!" Nero waved over his shoulder as he continued to keep walking with Erika and Mizuki to class.

"Would now be a good time to leave madam president?" Tatsuya spoke up trying to break the atmosphere.

"Yes, let us be off then." With that, the three started heading toward the student council building. Miyuki was however still thinking about what just happened a few moments ago. Her eyes were casted down in thought as she slowly looked up at the back of Mayumi Saegusa. Just what was that just now?

* * *

At the Yotsuba residence, new information in regards to Nero was just discovered. It took them some searching or in this term, stalking to make sure they had the right person.

"Milady, it seems that the young man we were keep track of was seen in his school uniform and heading to school with…well…" With who? Why did he stop like that in the middle of explaining?

"What is it, why do you stop?" Maya asked with visible irritation. The man cleared his throat before continuing. "Maya-sama, it's the same First High Academy that your niece and nephew are currently attending.

"Come again?" By Maya's reaction it actually seemed that she was quite surprised about this new bit of information. Wait, was that a smile appearing on her face?

"What a surprising and yet delightful coincidence…" She used her pointer finger to trace the rim of her teacup as she thought deeply about this new turn of events. A soft, appealing laughter was escaping her lips. Oh what joy this was! This was all like a fun board game to her and now it was her turn to make the next move.

"Fu-fu-fufufu…" Whenever she got like that, everyone knew what that meant. She has just found something exciting and entertaining towards her sense of enjoyment. Just who in the world was this boy that she would try so hard to look so deeply into his personal life?'

"This is excellent news. Hayama…" Maya calling over to her Head Butler. He was an older man with slicked back grey hair showing his age. The man was professional in his work and showed it through everything he did. When he did things it was always done right the first time. If he was asked to do so by Maya the current Yotsuba heir there would be no error in his work.

"Yes Milady?" He asked with a polite bow showing his respect toward the beautiful woman before him.

"I'm in a bit of a good mood. I would like to have a bit of fresh air next week. Please have me an escort ready by then." Maya said while still wearing her infectious smile. Hayama did not dare ask any questions after she stated what she wanted to do. If she would like to go out, it must be for a very good reason.

"Very well Maya-sama, I will make sure you have the very best escort for your travels." Bowing once more to his mistress, Hayama turned and started to make his way out of the room. He must make sure that everything is properly prepared for Maya before her departure.

As Maya watched her butler leave to prepare her demand she could feel a feeling within her that she hasn't felt in a very long time. This elation within her was so powerful that she even started to feel warm in her dress. Maybe it was time to take a relaxing bath to help cool herself off? She pulls Nero's picture out from her sizable breast and traces her finger over it in delight. Oh how he looked just like Dante and even…Vergil, the two twin brothers of her memory. It was as if she was reliving the good parts of her past once again. A bit of her wanted to know just how Dante was fairing. Even till this day she could not deny that she still held some strong feelings for the man. He was her first true love after all. A special place in her heart that belonged to him and she would not have it any other way if it could be the way she always wanted them to be.

That aside, this boy's father Vergil however, ended up becoming corrupted. No one really knows what happened to him after he left but it was a day that they could not forget. For that was the day both Dante and Vergil fought one another over their ideals. He had gone mad. Vergil even began to drown himself in his thirst to gain more power…It was a shame really. What drove him to such a point in his life that he would betray his own brother? And not too long after that fact, Teresa passed away. It has been seventeen years since then. Even her very sister Miya passed away two years ago and left her with a feeling of loneliness.

Signing to herself, she felt it was time to head to the baths and forget about the sensitive subject her mind pulled from the vault of her past. With the snap of her fingers she had house maids lined up in front of her, ready for her command.

"Please have my bathwater ready. I would like to take a nice and relaxing bath within the next few minutes." Maya states with a natural yet pleasant face. She was a type of woman to hide her true emotions from plan site. Yet she and her sister also knew about the supernatural such as demons and angels alike. Moreover, that very reason made this boy in her picture the more appealing. She wanted his strength, needed it for the vision of the world she wanted to rebuild. And for her young…no, that plan can't be spoiled too soon. There was still plenty of time for her plan to align and fall into place.

"You will soon be a part of our family."

* * *

Miyuki made her way through the hallway in the attempt of making her way toward the lunchroom. Time went by so fast for her that it was almost shocking it was already lunch time. She actually could have just had lunch in the student council room but in the end decided against it for today. Her brother had said to her that after his disciplinary duties he would head to the cafeteria for today. Maybe he was already there with the others by now?

As Miyuki neared the entrance to the school cafeteria, she came across a fairly sized group of females who wore bloom attire like her own. One would think that there was nothing wrong with what they were doing initially but upon further inspection the group looked like they were all up to something. The way that they looked to be gossiping happily amongst one another, hiding near the entrance seemed…rather strange. Just what were they doing huddled together like that anyway?

"Isn't he gorgeous?" One of the girls asked aloud. Her voice sounded excited in regards to the main topic of their attention.

"He's sooo~ hot!"

"Yes. He. Is! Maybe we should walk over and ask him if he's single? I'm so up for it." another girl said.

"Is he a prince or what?"

"I'm at the point where I don't even care if he isn't a course one student anymore! You think he would eat lunch with us if we asked him?" More girls continued to talk within the group as they peeked into the lunchroom where they all looked at someone, squealing happily. Just whom were they talking about in there? Miyuki feeling a bit curious herself neared the girls and looked into the room to see what the gossip was about but one of them noticed her presence.

"O-oh, Shiba-san." this gained the attention of the other girls as well.

"It's Shiba-san…"

"Hello, might I ask what you are all doing?" Miyuki looked around at the faces in the group with a hint of interest. The girls all looked towards each other cautiously, not quite sure if they should say what they were up to or not that's to Miyuki's sudden appearance. However, one of the girls found the courage to step forward as she looked at the Shiba princess carefully. If the rumor she's heard spreading around the school was true then she wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Ms. Shiba-san, if it's alright…would you be willing to answer a question that I've been thinking about lately?" hearing the girl's question gave Miyuki a small feeling of uncertainty not really knowing exactly what to expect next.

"Very well, if it is something I can answer then I will try to the best of my ability." Miyuki states as politely as possible trying to keep her school image in check. No matter what the girl would ask, it wouldn't be bad enough to make her lose character would it?

"Then what exactly is your relationship with the Handsome Zero? Not only us, but most people around the school have seen you two walking together." The girl asked with calculating eyes. Miyuki blushed lightly at the question however.

"My relationship with him? Well, isn't that type of questioning a bit unfair?" Miyuki asked. That was such a bold question. To be honest, what could she even tell them? There were still a lot of things that Miyuki Shiba did not know about the handsome devil. But it was clear as day that these girls were definitely reaching for some sort of information.

"Well, if Miyuki-san isn't dating Angelo-sama, would that mean those other rumors about him and President Saegusa-san are true then?" Miyuki's sweet smile faded almost as fast as it appeared. Miyuki unconsciously started releasing her ice magic as her eyes held an unexpected glare within them. There was something about what they said that just didn't sit quite well with her. The temperature around them started to drop dramatically as nearby windows and walls were starting to coat with thin layers of ice.

"I'm not sure where exactly you heard these rumors from or who started them but I can assure all of you that there is nothing going on between Angelo-san and Madam President Saegusa." For some reason, the group of girls speaking of another rumor such as that made her a bit annoyed. Miyuki absentmindedly spoke without really thinking about it to put a stop to that rumor then and there. But there wasn't really anything going on between Nero and Mayumi…was there?

The girls were clearly unsettled by Miyuki's fierce gaze that almost felt as if someone was holding a cold, sharp knife to each of their necks. So this was the overwhelming presence of the schools top female magician? This feeling was something that could not be described in simple words. It was borderline suffocating as they all took a step back in fear. Standing before Miyuki when she was upset was truly a feat in itself that they should be proud of.

"Oh, it's Miyuki-san! Are you also going into the cafeteria for lunch?" A familiar voice called out. It was none-other than Honoka Mitsui who was accompanied by her best friend Shizuku Kitayama.

"Oh my, hello Honoka-san, Shizuku-san." Miyuki's ice started to slowly recede and the surrounding area returned back to its normal temperature.

"If you all would please excuse me." Miyuki bowed politely to the terrified group as she walked over to her friends who were completely oblivious to the latest event. That was but a warning so one could only imagine what would happen if they were to upset her for real next time?

"Were you thinking of having lunch with your brother today…right Miyuki-san?" Honoka asked as they entered the lunchroom.

"I intended on having lunch with all of my friends today. That includes you Honoka-san and you too Shizuku-san." Miyuki said receiving a bright smile from Honoka. However, soon after they entered the room it was clear they gained the attention of just about everyone nearby.

"It's Ms. Shiba-san! Why would she even bother coming in here to have lunch? She's in the student council right?" one boy asked as they stared at her beauty. It was something that was fairly normal by now. After all to them, Miyuki was the closest thing to a walking goddess they had around the school.

"I don't mind, just look at her! S-she's so beautiful." another said aloud as Miyuki continued to walk through the aisles.

"Wow Miyuki-san, you're so popular." Honoka stated with an awkward chuckle from the attention.

"It's something I hear every so often but I've become used to it by now." Miyuki said as if it wasn't that big of a deal. Closing her eyes, Miyuki gently moves some of her silky smooth hair behind the fitting of her right ear. The small act in itself made most of the male students in the lunch room gulp loudly sounding closer to swallowing a lump in their throats. She was just too perfect.

As the three girls neared the table full of familiar faces, they saw Erika and Nero in a playful argument between each other.

"Hello everyone, Onii-sama, is it alright if we join you for lunch today?" Miyuki asked with a smile.

"Oh hey guys. You know there is more than enough room for everyone to sit down." Erika said quickly moving over to make space.

"Thank you. And by the way, Honoka-san and Shizuku-san will be the ones joining us today." Miyuki said as they all sat down. Honoka seemed a bit nervous though. You could see her playing with her pointer fingers as she pressed them together, looking for something to say. Her friend Shizuku didn't seem like the talking type either. Nevertheless, she did however look to be a bit interested in what the Nero and Erika were talking about.

"Hello again Shiba-san, Angelo-san. It's nice to see you again." Yep, Honoka is obviously shy while in the presence of her two saviors Tatsuya and Nero. If her face wasn't a dead giveaway that she was thrilled to see them, then you could not be helped.

"Honoka…" Honoka looked up into the face of Nero who was staring at her.

"Y-yes?" the girl asked not trusting her own voice under his powerful gaze.

"We're friends now aren't we? You don't have to be so formal with me. Just Nero is fine." This caused the girl to gasp as if she made some type of breakthrough. This was something she was looking forward to. Being able to call both Tatsuya and Nero by their first names would make her feel she was all the more closer to making more friends.

"I-is that really ok?"

"Why wouldn't it be? I'm completely fine with it. If you were doing it to be respectful, then forget about it. If I'm going to have a proper conversation with you, then I want to be able to talk with you as my equal." Nero stated with closed eyes as he waved off her concerns. He really meant what he said. He was so cool. Always speaking his mind and not thinking he was better than anyone else. But wasn't he was always like that? This only confirmed Honoka's past thoughts about the white haired devil. Nero Angelo felt so far out of her league, she would lose confidence trying to talk to him every time she saw him around campus regardless of his status as a Stem.

Tatsuya also agreed with Nero on this topic as well. Honoka did not have to be so formal with him either.

"Nero is right Honoka. You don't have to be so formal with me either. I did what I did because it was the right thing to do. You do not have to feel like you owe us anything in any way. I'm sure Nero feels the same way as I do regarding that incident." Tatsuya said as Honoka looked at them both for a few seconds before bowing her head with a smile.

"Thank you very much Nero-san, Tatsuya-san." Her smile now seemed to be beaming. It must have felt good to use both of their first names. Miyuki was actually happy for the girl. She looked much more happy and relaxed around the pair now.

"It looks like you guys are getting along nicely huh?" Leo asked now finding the right time to cut in. He was seated straight across from Shiemi, someone who was watching her rather intently.

"Hello again Honoka-san, Shizuku-san. It's good to see you two again." The pretty blonde-haired girl spoke up, gaining both Honoka and Shizuku's attention. Honoka looked at the blonde in remembrance as the events of their meeting one another resurfaced to the forefront of her mind. The timid, shy, kind and even adorable looking girl always surrounded herself around Nero every time she found the boy. Honoka knew the girl was very kind and almost harmless but was it really ok for someone that looked like her to be shy? Shiemi was nothing short of gorgeous and she has even heard her fair share of the female students being jealous of the girl's blessed assets. Honoka was sure she had the upper hand at first when it came to her bust…but now it would seem that indeed, another rival has appeared.

"…" Honoka stared quietly at Shiemi's well developed figure with a hint of jealousy clearly in her gaze. Those were **easily** double D size..no, maybe even borderline F cups. That would mean she was just a bit bigger than Honoka herself. So Nero had a girl like her around him at all times? For some reason that thought brought a frown on the brown haired twin tailed girl's lips. Shiemi could only look on slightly confused from Honoka's strange actions. What happened to her all of a sudden? Erika close by noticed the look on the poor girl's face place a hand on her shoulder. The gesture made Honoka look over to see that Erika's expression was that of understanding and sympathy.

"Welcome to the Warzone." Erika said in a sympathetic voice. Honoka sank slightly in her seat for reasons only few would know. This was a battlefield. They all knew that the outcome of such a one sided war was not in their favor. This was just not fair at all! Wait? Why is she feeling sorry for her? If anything, it should be the other way around!

As everyone had lunch and Miyuki was conversing with all of her friends, it was normal engaging chatter that seemed to be enjoyed by the Shiba princess. She was happy to be able to spend time with her brother and her friends like this. She just wished that days like this could last a bit longer.

* * *

After the group finished their lunches, everyone stood up from the table to get rid of their trash before they would head back to their classes. Nero and Shiemi were the first pair getting ready to head out and go back toward their classroom. Miyuki thought that she would walk with her brother back to the student council room while Erika was still pouting about certain subjects she and Nero went back and forth about. Honoka and Shizuku were also ready to head to their next class when there was something just within Honoka's line of sight that caught her attention.

What is that? There on the seating area where they had lunch, looked to be someone's cellular phone. What made it even more bizarre was the fact that it was in the exact place that Nero was seated for lunch. Does that mean this particular cellular device is Nero's cell phone then? Picking it up to inspect it closer for herself, the thought of returning it to him crossed her mind. No! She can't…well she could, but she was super nervous just thinking about how the altercation with her fellow classmates would ensue.

"Ok guys, I'm out of here. See you after school I guess." Erika waved as Mizuki followed suit after giving a bow to the others. Maybe Erika was trying to catch up with Nero, Leo and Shiemi who just walked out not to long ago?

"Honoka, what's wrong?" the brown twin tailed girl's best friend Shizuku asked as she walked over, seeing that she was in deep thought.

"I don't know for certain but I think that Nero-san dropped his phone by accident. I'm sure he's not too far away for us to return it back before our class starts but…." Honoka said to her friend a bit unsure. Erika suddenly stopped her pacing in mid-step as others around could visibly see her ears twitching. Mizuki looked at her friend wondering why she stopped so suddenly but less than a second later, there were multiple hands on the same phone Honoka was holding within her hand.

"Oh Honoka, you silly, silly child. Let big sister take care of this." Erika said as she pulled it toward her shocking Honoka a bit. Honoka however, started pulling back.

"But we're the same age..."

"Shhhhh! It's ok little one…I got this."

"Wait Erika-san, no hard feelings but between me and you…I'm not so little."

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK BACK TO YOUR BIG SIS!" Erika barked before holding up her hand to silence Honoka from continuing the argument that was unraveling. They were going to get nowhere like this.

"Honoka, I only have one question to ask you." Erika's serious face was something so shockingly out of character that even Honoka had to gulp at its intensity.

"W-what is it?"

"Does it have a password lock?"

"Eh?"

"Erika-chan!" Mizuki was surprised yet not at the same time from her friends invasive question.

"Come on tell me please! I'm begging you Honoka-channnn!" Erika started to whine in a comedic fashion.

"I think we should just return it." Shizuku said to both girls. Erika looked hurt from that fact that the stoic girl could even make such a suggestion in the first place at a time like that. Did she not know the fruits of Erika's overall goal?

"I agree with Shizuku-san." Mizuki said nodding her head.

"Shizuku-chan…Mizuki-chan, you two would actually try and deny me this pleasure?"

"Yes/Yes." they both said without hesitation. If it was Erika they were talking to then both girls knew better than to let her run loosely with her intentions. Erika grabbed at her heart in mock pain after hearing her friends shoot her down so effortlessly without the slightest bit of remorse or hesitation. Some friends they are.

"What are you all talking about Erika-san? Return what?" This was the voice of a now approaching Miyuki who actually only walked over in the first place to ask if Honoka and Shizuku would like to walk to class together.

"Miyuki!/Miyuki-san!" Erika, Mizuki and Honoka just barely shouted in surprise as Honoka hid the phone behind her back out of instinctive reflex.

"Oh nothing, you know…stuff…" Erika said before turning around and grabbing Honoka, Mizuki and Shizuku.

"Huddle…" Erika whispered, forming a square huddle. They all bent themselves forward so they could all talk privately amongst one another without fear of being heard. Miyuki and her brother Tatsuya raised their eyebrows from the scene. What in the world is going on right now? Is most likely what the two siblings were trying to ponder in their head.

"Look, here's the plan…don't say anything! Easy right? We can't tell Miyuki we have Nero's phone or she would probably try to take our lives or make us do something we don't want to do and trust me, both options are bad news." Erika whispered as Shizuku deadpanned. How did she end up in the middle of this kind of situation? If anything happened, she had nothing to do with it. Poor Honoka, hearing this caused the girl to gulp in fright. Miyuki-san wouldn't go that far, would she?

Erika wore a small smile on her face as she enjoyed the expressions her friends wore on their faces. She told them a bit of a lie in that instant but in her mind it was with good reason. She knew Miyuki was too much of a **bro-con** to fall for anyone else even if that person was someone like Nero…right?

"I-I don't know Erika-chan. This just isn't right!" Mizuki said timidly as Honoka agreed with the glasses wearing girl.

"I don't feel right doing this kind of thing either Erika-san."

"Bah! These are supposed to be the good memories of our high school days. I need at least some type of blackmail." Erika casually brushes off their concerns.

"Erika-san just what kind of hobbies do you have in your spare time?" Honoka asked the nosy red head.

"Hey, don't you dare judge me! Plus, regardless of that fact, are you people trying to sit here and tell me that neither of you don't want to find out even the slightest bit of something new about our mysterious prince charming?" This question actually rendered them all quiet. Even Shizuku could not deny she was a bit curious about the white haired teen. But this was still wrong.

"See you do agree with me!" Erika now feeling triumphant takes it a step further.

"I hereby declare "Operation: Avoid Miyuki at all cost" is a go!" Breaking the huddle, they turn to see that Tatsuya joined Miyuki.

"Girls?" Miyuki asked them a bit concerned. Her soft and currently innocent gaze was making three out of the four girls look to the side ashamed. They were being corrupted! The look on Honoka and Mizuki's faces was making it obvious that something was clearly bothering them. Maybe they could not do this to someone like Miyuki after all?

"I just wanted to ask if Honoka-san and Shizuku-san wanted to walk to…" Miyuki was interrupted.

"I'm sorry Miyuki-saannnn!/I'm so sorrryyyyy!" Honoka and Mizuki seemed to break under her soft gaze. How could they try to deceive someone as kind as Miyuki? This caused Miyuki to blink in confusion.

"Sorry? Sorry about what exactly?" she asked the girls as Shizuku released a sigh. They couldn't take the pressure after all.

"W-well you see…I found this phone that was in the spot Nero-san was sitting and I wanted to return it but I got too nervous and then…Erika said you would get usss~ I'm so sorryyy~!" Honoka said with anime tears.

"It wasn't our fault we swear!" Mizuki said as you could see Erika sneakily tiptoeing toward the door in the background. Since that plan was a bust it was time to get out of there as quickly as possible. Miyuki's eyebrow started to twitch in irritation. She had a feeling of who the ringleader was but just what was she trying to get them to do just now?

"Erika-san leaving so soon?" Miyuki asked calmly as the red haired girl halted in place. Now turning around facing her friends.

"Shame on you Honoka, Mizuki! I told the both of you that this was a bad idea and we should've just returned it in the first place! Now look at what happens when you don't listen to me! Miyuki, I tell you…those girls sure are a piece of work. Wait, wait…shush…do you all hear that? Teacher, is that you? I think I hear my teacher calling my name. I'll just see you later then!" With that, Erika dashed out the room with great speed. Miyuki wasn't even mad about it though so her friend's actions were quite unnecessary. It wasn't really any of her business but whatever Erika was probably plotting was an invasion of someone's privacy. Letting out a sigh, she looks back to Honoka with a soft smile.

" Honoka-san, you are the one who found it correct? Then I think you should be the one to return it. It's only right that it's done properly." Whoa, Miyuki was so mature.

"O-ok, I will…"

"Good, then I will see you later Honoka-san, Shizuku-san, Mizuki-san." Miyuki bowed politely to them before turning to make her way out the lunchroom with her brother. Honoka released a sigh of relief after coming out of that whole ordeal relatively unscathed. After what Erika said to her and the rest of the group, she feared for the worst of outcomes. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Honoka felt t was time to leave in hopes of returning Nero's phone before her next class officially started.

"Let's go Shizuku-chan."

"Ok."

* * *

Honoka and Shizuku made their way through the long halls as they eventually came across the Stem student area within the school. Ok, here it was…class 2F. Honoka inhaled a deep breath in hopes of stilling her nerves.

*Knock, knock, knock* Honoka knocks on the door to the classroom as she waited patiently for someone to answer. Man was she nervous at that moment.

"Come in!" She hears a voice from the other side of the door. Truthfully, it sounded young…

Opening the door Honoka walks in while Shizuku decided to wait quietly outside. She wasn't one for attention or big crowds of people if she didn't have to be. Being the center of everyone's gaze just wasn't something she was very fond of.

"Excuse me for intruding…" Honoka said cutely as she bows her head respectfully. She could feel all of the students' eyes on her and it made her conscious of her surroundings.

"Whoa, what's a bloom doing here?" A female student asked in surprise.

"Bro, look at her! She is so my type."

"She's out of your league bro, calm that down." Two boys said to each other even though Honoka could hear them. She was in Stem territory after all. Nero and Shiemi noticed Honoka. Wondering what she was doing there.

"May I help you?" someone finally asked Honoka causing the girl to turn her head to the speaker. Huh? No one was there. She doesn't see anyone in front of her at all. Maybe she was just hearing things?

"Hello, down here!"

"Eh?!" There before Honoka was a small pink haired girl with a cute pink dress an…was that an identification card? N-no way!

"Hello there, I am Tsukuyomi Komoe, **teacher** of class 2H. Now…what can I do for you?" Did she just say she was a teacher? Honoka knew she shouldn't have eaten that school bread. She was hallucinating and hearing things. It was impossible that there was a six year old girl here as a teacher! Komoe noticed the look she was receiving from the girl and the teacher's left eye started to twitch with clear irritation. Everyone around there would always give her the same reaction every time and it was starting to get extremely annoying.

"Before you even think about asking, I'll have you know that I am twenty-five years old!" Honoka's eyes widened in shock. Is this some kind of sick joke?

"U-uh right…"

"Now what is it that you need?" Oh, right…she had almost forgotten thanks the this new shocking bit of information.

"I have actually come to return Nero-san's phone. He dropped it by accident at lunch." Honoka said causing the class to gasp. Nero reached in his pocket to notice that his phone was indeed missing. How did he not notice that? However, his classroom aside from Shiemi, were thinking along the lines of things like…

"He is on such good terms with this cute girl? I'm jealous!" One of the boys said aloud causing Honoka to blush.

"What do you expect? It's Nero after all." Another said as if it was obvious. Nero was known as the "lady killer/Womanizer" of the school.

"I-it's not like that!" She tried to defend but her blush increased as the comments continued onward.

"Damn you Nero, she's even blushing!" another boy said causing Nero to sigh and get up out of his seat.

"Forgive me Miss Komoe. I will only be a few minutes so if you would excuse me." Nero said before walking up to Honoka and gently grabbing her hand and started leading her out the door. This caused Honoka's blush to darken at his bold behavior. Shiemi looked at the pair without even realizing that she wore a frown across her features.

"N-N-Nero-san!" As they made it outside the classroom they could hear gossip about the event that just happened. Nero then let her go as he let out another sigh leaning against the wall. This was draining him dry. He then noticed Shizuku as the girl was staring out of the window, minding her own business until she noticed the two. Looking back to Honoka he realizes that maybe he could have handled that situation a bit better then what he did. The girl was noticeably embarrassed and flustered. He felt like an ass for maybe adding fuel to the already lit fire thanks to the ridiculous imagination of his classmates.

"Sorry about that. They would have definitely kept on going if we stayed in there so I brought you out here so you wouldn't have to worry about them talking in your ear the whole time." Nero said in his attempt to help Honoka relax a bit.

"N-no it's quite alright Nero-san. I-I actually didn't mind it." Huh? Exactly which part of it didn't she mind exactly?

Now reaching in her bag, Honoka pulled out Nero's cell phone, retuning it to him.

"Thanks Honoka, I owe you one." Nero said causing the girl to shake her head.

"It's ok Nero-san, you don't owe me anything. I'm just glad that I found it before someone else did." Honoka said causing Nero to shake his head. As long as it was within reason, Nero was the kind of person to always repay a debut no matter what it was. It was just something he felt was the right thing to do after all the trouble Honoka went through to return his device back to him.

"No. If you are intending on walking with us after school today why don't we stop by someplace while you pick out something to eat, it'll be my treat." This caused Honoka blush again, waving her hands back and forth.

"N-no, no I-I couldn't Nero-san, I wouldn't want to intrude." Nero closed his eyes, releasing a small sigh after hearing her attempt to kindly refuse his offer.

"Honoka, I'm the one who offered to treat you today…so let me at least do that much." Honoka did not answer that time, she could not. She did not trust her voice at this very moment. Nero noticed she had nothing to say and used it to his advantage.

"What, nothing to say this time? Maybe it's better leaving it this way." Nero turned around getting ready to head back into his classroom. Honoka brought her hand up to her chest as she stared at his back with flushed cheeks. There was a foreign but nice feeling coursing through her body.

"See you later Honoka, Shizuku." And with that Nero walked back into his classroom. You could hear him being bombarded with questions on the other side of the door. Honoka just stood there and stared incredulously at the door Nero just went through. Shizuku walked closer to her friend who still seemed dazed from the encounter with the white haired teen a moment ago. He was one of Honoka's personal **saviors** after all so her reaction was no big surprise.

"That went…well." Shizuku said trying to break Hononka out of her stupor.

"Shizuku-chan, am I dreaming? Did that really just happen?" Honoka asked looking at the hand Nero touched not too long ago. Honoka wasn't sure if this was all a dream or if this was just extremely good luck. No matter, she couldn't think properly with everything that was going through her mind.

"You are definitely awake to the point that if we were to wait here for another five minutes we **will** be late for our next class." Shizuku's words did as intended and knocked Honoka out of her daydreaming daze, panicking.

"Oh no! Shizuku-chan we have to hurry!" With that, both girls started to quickly make their way to their class before they ended up being late. However, even though they might end up late for class, Honoka could not help but have a beautiful smile on her face as they continued quickly down the halls.

* * *

Back at the **Devil May Cry** shop, Dante could only think about what his old friend Tatsurou Shiba said to him before his departure.

_Flashback: Four days ago_

"_Dante things are getting more out of control as time passes by the second. We have to find a way to halt the progression of this ritual. There are a few cults in Japan that are restless and will stop at nothing until they have achieved their goal of resurrecting the Evil King Ignus. I'm afraid from what my sources have told me, that the organization is sending out its heavy hitters to handle the matter. But its all just a cover up. Doesn't this all seem suspicious to you as well?" Tatsurou said with a hand on his chin in a thinking manner. He was concerned at the very least. Especially since his two children, Tatsuya and Miyuki were there in Japan among the many-crazed cultist. These people were fiddling with magic humans should not be able to harness._

_The side effects from such reckless actions was obvious to the ones brainwashing the fools into using up there life energy to bring back the powerful demon. They were all no better than sacrifices. Like sheep to the slaughter, and they did not seem to care. What cruel type of magic or torture was used on these people? However, it was also known that all of the cultists were not just humans. Demons among demons was the best way to describe what was really going on. The supernatural that stayed hidden form the eyes of the unknown was slowly but surely creeping up to show its evil presence._

"_Truthfully I have had my doubts as well. There are things that don't add up to me about this. Just what is the organization trying to hide I wonder? You don't think there is something valuable that escaped their clutches do you?" Dante asked his friend as the man nodded his head in agreement. There was definitely something not right about all of this. Why would the organization try so hard they wondered, unless..._

_Both Dante and Tatsurou looked at one another as if it was painfully obvious from the start._

"_They're really the ones truly behind this…" Tatsurou and Dante stated at the same time. This wasn't good. Their suspicion about what happened to Teresa has only been increased even further. So there really were some bad eggs in that batch after all._

"_You know what this means don't you Dante?" Tatsurou asked seriously as looked at the white haired man._

"_I do…"_

_Flashback End_

Running a hand through his hair the man sighs loudly. This really did just get more hectic didn't it?

* * *

It was now the end of the school day for the teens and they all seemed to be making their way into town. Honoka, Shizuku, Mizuki, Shiemi and Leo accompanied the group. Nero meet up with Honoka earlier who was acting rather strangely might a certain female Shiba add. All the girl did was return his phone back to him…right? Miyuki did notice how the girl seemed different around the boy though. Yet, what really caught her attention was when Honoka was trying to do all these certain cute gestures to gain a reaction from Nero in so way. Nevertheless, Miyuki was currently walking beside her brother while Erika and Nero went back and forth with another one of their normal comedic arguments.

The Chiba heir could not help but get into something with the boy. It was pretty damn fun if she would say so herself. However, if they were looking behind them they would see a slightly displeased Honoka as she had a frown on her features. Honoka's friend Shizuku could sense the girl's discomfort as her friend watched them continue on. To think her best friend would get so worked up from a friendly spat between, well...friends. Honoka was very stubborn herself so it wasn't actually that surprising to say the least. She did however want to cheer her friend on and tell her not to give up so easily if she was even thinking the same thing Honoka was.

Miyuki looked over to see Honoka's expression and where her attention currently was centered. Following the brown haired girl's line of sight, she realized that Honoka was indeed staring at Nero as he and Erika continued to verbally attack one another. Miyuki could tell that her friend seemed down about something and had a good feeling of what it probably was. Closing her eyes and releasing a sigh, Miyuki pushed her thoughts away and tried to re-focus on something else. She almost felt like telling Nero to stop being such a womanizer but Miyuki knew better than that. Nero just wasn't that type of person and didn't do these things on purpose. There was no way Miyuki could say that she could necessarily hold it against him. Still, that didn't mean that she would be ok with it either.

Soon enough, they were walking to a nearby food store to grab a quick bite to eat before heading home. As they entered, they walked up to the front counter to give each of their orders. It was then that Nero walked over to Honoka as the girl was shyly standing quietly in the back with Shizuku. Honoka made an attempt to say something but Shizuku started to lightly push her forward surprising the girl from her friend's forceful actions.

"S-Shizuku-chan?" Honoka looked back flustered as Shizuku gave her a thumbs up with a completely emotionless face. Guess that was Shizuku's way of giving her friend some form of encouragement? Nero now standing in front of them looks at the main girl in favor.

"You don't have to hold back for my sake. Go on, it's my treat." He said causing a certain someone's eyes to glance in their direction. Miyuki heard about what Nero decided to do for Honoka as thanks. She knew it was Nero's way of trying to return a favor because of the girl's nice gesture earlier but she would be lying if she denied that she didn't feel slightly envious right now. Wait, why did she just think that? Miyuki bit her lower lip as she looked at the scene. Why did it even matter to her? But then a picture of Elena's soothing face popped into her mind. If Nero was to court someone wouldn't that necessarily mean that the girl he chooses would end up becoming Elena's real sister instead of Miyuki herself? Grabbing her necklace tightly, she thinks of the possibilities of that actually happening. Miyuki's heart strangely gave the girl a sharp twang of pain upon her realization. She…didn't want that.

Time went by as Miyuki and the group sat down and started conversing. You could see Honoka looking down cutely with her hands in her lap finding the table's surface strangely appealing. She could swear her heartbeat was so loud the others could probably hear it. If you are wondering about the reason for the girl's flustered demeanor, it was because Nero was currently seated next to the girl. Miyuki and her brother Tatsuya were on the same side as Nero and Honoka while everyone else was seated on the other side. She was super nervous!

However, as conversation started up, it seemed to relax the girl more and more as time passed by. Moments later the group could be seen leaving with their drinks now after they finished eating inside. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Especially after Erika and Nero gave the group some good laughs. Tatsuya being Tatsuya would throw in a joke or two but that was about it. The energetic Chiba was most definitely a handful if anything.

"Alright everyone, it would seem this is where we go our separate ways." Tatsuya said.

"Come on Nero lets walk home together today. You ran away yesterday but I won't let you get away today." Erika said to the young devil as he released another one of his notable sighs. It seemed like there was no way he could get himself out of this one this time.

"Just don't slow me down." Erika's smile grew as she ran up him and gave him a quick jab in his left arm.

"You took the words right out of my mouth."

As most of the others bowed and said their goodbyes. Honoka and Shizuku also returned the gesture as they saw Nero, Erika, Miyuki and Tatsuya head off in the other direction. She could only once again stare at the back of the two boys she found so mysterious. She could see Miyuki and Erika with a smile on their faces as they walked and talked with both Nero and Miyuki's brother Tatsuya. A small sad smile graced her features.

"Hey Shizuku-chan…Miyuki-san and Erika-san are quite lucky aren't they?" Honoka asked as her friend could hear the wavering in the girl's voice. She could only close her eyes and sigh at the situation.

"But aren't you just as lucky? They are no longer just Angelo-san and Shiba-san…they both are our **friends **now. I don't know who you are or what you've done to my friend but there's no way you are the same Honoka I'm best friends with. Nor does that sound like the stubborn Honoka I used to know at all. The Honoka I knew didn't give up no matter what it was because she was always devoted and ambitious. She would continuously try over and over again to better herself no matter how long or difficult it was. So...just who you? I'm not sure if I know the person standing before me. " Shizuku stated causing Honoka to look at her friend in slight shock. She was right after all. They all weren't just some far away and unreachable presence, Nero and Tatsuya were her friends…hers. Shizuku was right! What happened to her? Honoka quickly shook her head to rid herself of the negative thoughts that started to fill inside. Balling her fist in front of her face with eyes of determination she inhales a good portion of air into her lungs as she looks back to her best friend.

"You are right Shizuku-chan, I must not lose hope so quickly!" This earned a repeated nod of agreement from Shizuku herself. There we go, now that was the Honoka she knew and became best friends with.

"Welcome back…Honoka."

* * *

Miyuki, Nero, Erika and her brother finally made it to Yakumo's temple. This was Erika's first time coming to the area so it was a bit new to her. She was a bit impressed by how traditional it looked compared to most places claiming to be a temple in that era. Erika did find it a bit weird as to why Nero continued to ignore her when she kept asking him where they were going. It was then that Miyuki gave her a smile and told her that they were going to pick up Nero's younger kid sister. Hearing that bit of information made Erika strangely shocked, in fact. Nero being a big brother was something she did not think to ever guess if someone asked her opinion on the matter. A part of her was actually fairly impressed or was it more so proud? Knowing that her friend who normally was a hard nut to crack mind you, had siblings that he loved and took care of made her have a much bigger amount of respect for the boy. Not that it was that much to begin with…ok she was just kidding there. She definitely respected the boy for all its worth but it didn't hurt to be sassy about it. While Erika was guessing in her head how Nero's little sister would look, they were suddenly greeted with a small bundle of affection.

"Onii-san, Onee-san!" Elena caught both Miyuki and Erika in a fly hug. Erika blinked blankly at what she just heard. That girl was the slitting image of Nero. She was so cute! Wait…don't forget the important details.

"Did she just say Onee-chan?" Erika looked bewildered at that fact.

"It's good to see you again Elena-chan." Miyuki said rubbing the girls head tenderly as the girl seemed to melt into her gentle touch.

"You were good while we were gone weren't you?" Nero this time asked with a small laugh recovering from the girls loving assault.

Elena nodded her head with a smile before seeing Tatsuya and Erika, shyly waving in their direction. Tatsuya raised his eyebrow for a second before returning the gesture. It was the first time she has been that way toward him so it was a bit of a surprise. Miyuki was beaming brightly though. It was nice to see her brother and her supposed little sister getting along. Erika did the same as she returned the gesture with a smile of her own. Erika took this as an opportunity to introduce herself to the small girl.

"Hello there, my name is Erika Chiba and I'm the girl that keeps your big brother out of trouble. You see, I'm really good friends with him so I will make sure to keep an eye on him for you. So what's your name?" Erika finished with a closed eyed smile that made Nero groan in annoyance.

"Elena…" she was clearly very shy with others and it only made her seem even more adorable to Erika.

"It seems Elena has finally accepted you as her brother in-law Tatsuya." Yakumo said as Nero just closed his eyes, Erika's mouth hung wide open and Miyuki started to blush furiously.

"Brother in-law?" Erika and Miyuki said at the same time.

"Just what are you saying all of a sudden Yakumo-sensei?" Miyuki looked over at Nero to see his reaction in regards to Yakumo's terrible joke. She noticed that he was holding up better than she was. He looked to be shaking his head negatively with closed eyes.

"Erika this is Yakumo-sensei, a close friend of Nero, Miyuki and myself." Tatsuya said not telling the full truth but also not lying to the girl either. Yakumo seemed to put his hand under his chin as he carefully scanned all of Erika's **sizes **which the girl did not miss. She covered herself, flustered by the creepy gaze the older man was giving her. Just who in the world was this old pervert anyway?

"Hmmm…not bad, not bad Nero. You seem to have good taste in finding yourself a proper girlfriend." Yakumo jokingly said causing both Erika and Miyuki to quickly jolt in place as if being zapped by lightning. Erika's cheeks started to coat themselves in a pink hue for the man's choice of words. Her and Nero…a couple?

"Though Miyuki's figure is nothing to scoff at either…" Yakumo said only adding fuel to the fire. Tatsuya could not only see but also feel his sisters swirling emotions build up inside her. He was sure it was rather obvious that the others could probably feel it as well. Suddenly the beautiful Shiba sibling stood up and activated her CAD. A mesmerizing shining seal appeared underneath her feet causing her uniform to move as if it was in a small breeze. She looked like her nickname suited her well. The 'Snow Princess' of First High.

As Miyuki aimed her free open hand at Yakumo, the man started to sweat bullets. He knew at that moment he messed up big time.

"H-hey now Miyuki, you know it was just a joke right? A joke…" He said only for a second later an ice kunai lodged itself in-between his eyes causing the man to fall backwards twitching helplessly on the ground. Tatsuya could just shake his head at the older man. He saw that coming from a mile away. Elena was standing there with her mouth agape, stars in her eyes.

"Onee-san, that was so cool!" She jumped up and down causing the older sister to smile at the compliment.

"When I get older I want to be strong and beautiful just like Onee-san." Elena said as Miyuki gained a tint of pink from the continuous flattery. It felt good to be looked up to by a younger sibling.

"I'm sure when you get older you will shine brighter than anyone Elena." Miyuki now rubbing the girls head again gently. Nero had to give it to Miyuki, she had all the cards. Especially when Elena was involved.

"Uh…is anyone going to tell me exactly what's going on here and why Nero's sister is calling Miyuki…onee-san?" Erika suddenly asked aloud.

"Little Elena here views me as her older sister figure Erika-san. She just seems to be rather fond of me but I adore her nonetheless. Elena is very special to me after all." Miyuki said as Elena deepened her hug on the Shiba sister's leg. Erika didn't know how to really compute what was happening but something within her felt off about hearing those words.

"Hey Elena-chan, can I be your Onee-san too?" Erika playfully asked. The redhead suddenly felt a cold draft and looked towards the Shiba sister how had her eyes covered by the bangs of her hair. A shiver traveled down Erika's spine as the sinister look of her friend Miyuki completely terrified her.

"M-Miyuki I was just kidding too I'm sorry!" or was she?

"Ugh…" Suddenly Yakumo recovered from his near death experience and removed himself from the ground to dust himself off. Erika breathed a sigh of relief that the center of attention was changed elsewhere. After the man regained his bearings he offered them all some tea and snacks as they agreed. Each of them sat down and conversed about their day at school. Elena always loved to hear stories about their time at school. It just seemed like so much fun to her. Erika looked at all her friends seated at the small table and could not help the smile that made its way onto her lips. This was…nice. She might not quite understand everything that's going on between Nero and Miyuki but she would admit that this was somehow enjoyable. She knew that when she would head home that this feeling within her would quickly fade away. There was just something about the atmosphere of that place that took all of the joy from her body. Just the thought of it was started to bring down her mood so she quickly shook her head from side to side to ride herself of such pointless things. For now, she would just focus on the people in front of her and leave all that type of thinking for another time. Anyway, it was now getting dark and both groups thought it was time to go their separate ways. Of course the little one was upset once again by having to leave her older sister again but Miyuki assured the girl that she would see her tomorrow.

* * *

Nero, Elena and Erika started to walk home since their places of residence were relatively close to one another. Miyuki found that a bit shocking after Erika mentioned it to her but it made a bit of sense after seeing the pair walk to school almost every morning. As the group each said their goodbyes the Shiba princess looked to have a smile plastered on her face befitting of her title. Even though Yakumo was trying to embarrass her the whole time, she felt that some good came out of it. Dare she admit it but it felt so natural being around the white haired siblings. And even though she still wanted to ask Nero about the question she had on her mind earlier, she felt that it just wasn't the right time and decided against it. It also didn't help that whenever she tried to, something always got in her way.

Grabbing at her necklace, Miyuki looked at the beautiful item with an infectious gaze. Nothing was making sense to her anymore. To Miyuki, Elena was her precious little sister…but what was Nero to her? She didn't quite know the answer to that and that's what gave her such confusion. She started off only viewing him as an extremely handsome individual who in turn slowly, stubbornly but also surely became her friend.

Other men she has come across were nothing to her when it came to a romantic standpoint. Certain things would put her on edge or make her feel uneasy but when it came to Nero she never experienced that feeling around him. His presence was so warm and gentle even though he always acted so tough and distant. But after she actually got to know him and get used to his personality, she would always just watch from the sidelines and pretend like she didn't care about the things he did with other people. But a little part of her…was always a bit jealous. More so to why she felt so far away from him compared to everyone else? But now Miyuki was starting to realize that there really was something about Nero that made her want to be around him.

"Miyuki, are you feeling alright?" It seemed that her brother Tatsuya was a bit concerned from her lack of conversation that they usually would have on the way home. He has been noticing that she was in deep thought for the past week or so. Shaking her head to rid herself of her inner thoughts, Miyuki puts on a warm smile.

"I'm fine Onii-sama. So, how about some of those tea cakes that we still have at the house?" Giving his sister a small smile that seemed to put the girl more at ease.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea."

* * *

After Nero returned home, he made sure to get Elena ready for bed. But what was this feeling? There was this monstrous and suffocating aura in the air and he wanted to know where it was coming from. Once Elena finally succumbed to her dreams he used that time to escape. Nero slid opened his room window and went out, quietly closing it behind him.

Nero started to make his was towards the direction he felt the intense energy because whatever it was, he knew it was a danger to the people nearby. Making his way to the outskirts of the city he started to investigate the area. Something wasn't right. The feeling in the air was foul and disgusting. The feeling of death was so potent it was almost palpable. There was something that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up with uneasiness.

"**So you are the one?"** The dark demonic looking figure stated from behind the shadows. Nero brought his attention to the Demonic creature that oozed a deadly killing intent making him stand defensively. A bead of sweat traveled down Nero's forehead from the power he could feel from this thing before him. It was enough to make his stomach turn inside out.

"The one? I don't know what you're talking about but who the hell are you?" The Demon stood up on the rock, jumping and landing in front of Nero. It stood ten feet tall with black and blue colored skin. Its wings and horns were somehow made out of its blue flames as the demon's hard gaze looked upon Nero's smaller form. It was melting the stone beneath their feet like butter from the immense heat.

"**My name is Dio, one of the six generals of the Dark Six. You seemed to have beaten Orphis, but I will not be that easy to kill…kin of Sparda. I have actually come here in hopes of taking your life." **Nero stared at the demon known as Dio with wide eyes. So another general reared its ugly head after such a short amount of time. He didn't think another one would pop up so soon. The last one was already strong enough, so he could only imagine what abilities Dio possessed.

"Huh, so you want to start right off the bat like that? Alright the…!" Nero was cut off in the middle of his sentence by Dio grabbing his face and jumping into the air. The speed at which they traveled was unquantifiable. Even before he knew it, Nero was taken near the clouds in the earth's stratosphere.

'What the hell?' Nero thought to himself before he started to see Dio's body start to ignite on fire with blue flames. As they started falling back down to the ground, the fire was scorching the air. It was hot. These flames were far from normal. Normal fire didn't affect Nero at all but this…this was something completely different. Demonic hell flames.

"**Raging Hell Flame G-Impact!"**

*THOOOMMMMMM!* Nero's back collided with the ground causing the area to be covered in a blue blaze. The ground beneath them imploded from the force and heat as the sound of a vicious lightning colt boomed afterward. Trees, rock, wildlife, everything was covered in blue flames that lit the night sky as they burned away out of existence.

Dio's hand remained on Nero's face as he continued to press the boy further and further into the ground. Re-lighting his hand in a scorching blaze, Dio pushed with more force as the ground started to erupt from the demon sending his flames in the earth below. An enormous pillar of blue flames shot into the sky and split the clouds with its heat.

"**Flames of the Demon Lord Ritual…"** Shit! He could feel the power oozing off of this fire attack. Nero needed to get him off as soon as possible. Using Belmont's ability, he creates a gravity sphere and places it on Dio's chest. The attack forcefully pushed the demon back allowing Nero to regain his bearings. Rolling over and flipping out of the hot crater Nero examined Dio's position from his own. No way could he let Dio get a hold on him again. It was too risky.

He will have to play it safe or he could very well end up badly injured. It doesn't help that severely burned cells can't regenerate so his healing factor would be useless if he's burned alive. Damn it. He hasn't mastered his Re-write ability either so it drains way too much demonic energy and stamina from him. He would probably only have two or three tries before he would be burnt out.

"**That was a wise decision boy. I was about to give the finishing blow if you hadn't moved me." **He has a point. If Nero would have waited even a few seconds longer…he could have possibly been killed. A bead of sweat traveled down Nero's forehead again as he realized the seriousness of the situation. All he could do is attack. There was no other option.

"**HAAAHH!**/"HAAAAAAAHHH!" Both yelled as they both collided with one another. Nero this time adding powerful reflecting vectors around his fists as Dio covered his in flames. Dio could feel his flames being extinguished and decided to take it up a notch. This so far was child's play.

"**The Rebirth of a kindled flame shall cast despair upon the world and burn with a Vengeance."**

"That's….enough." A sudden random voice spoke. It sounded weakened and strained. Dio who was about to launch a devastating attack suddenly halted in shock…or was it fear? There was another one?

The voice seemed to come from a cloaked human looking form. The person's face was covered but their mouth looked like it was infected with something corrupted. Dio seeing the figure took a step back feeling this person's enormous power. This confused Nero. Someone as powerful as Dio was backing away in fear from that man? Just who the hell is this person?

"**I-impossible! You are still alive after all these years?"**

"Silence. I do not answer…to weaklings fool. But instead, I have come…to claim what is mine." The cloaked figure's head then traveled to Nero. Nero then took a step back instinctively. This person, they were death itself. But his body wouldn't move. Is this what fear felt like?

Raising up their arm they tried to gather demonic energy in their hand. A dark blue orb started to surround it as Nero's own arms started to glow.

"AGHHHH!" A pain shot up his entire arm as it felt like it was going to explode from the inside out. Falling to his knees he grips it tightly hoping that the pain would subside…but it didn't. It became worse and worse with each passing second.

"-MY ARM! AGGGGHHHHHHH!" Suddenly his forearm started to split apart from the sides as something started to appear. It was the Yamato katana blade that Dante entrusted to him. What the hell was going on? It was so painful that he didn't care to think about anything else but to just stop the pain. When the final bit of the sword released itself from Nero's arm he could feel his blood oozing out and covering the ground beneath him.

The Yamato then started to quickly fly toward the cloaked figure who caught it with ease regardless of their weakened state. Dio had to kill them both now or there might not be another opportunity.

"**This just cannot be! Are you really Ver.." **How did the cloaked man get behind Dio? Back facing the tall demon, the cloaked man started to slowly sheath his sword.

*CLING* The hilt hit the sheath signifying that the sword was comfortably closed in place.

"**GAH! Imposs…" **Suddenly Dio started to fall apart piece by piece before he even touched the ground. Nero's vision was blurry but he could see the man start to sluggishly walk away before taking the Yamato back out and cutting a portal open with it. Before the figure walked through the portal, he looked back to give the barely conscious Nero a look over.

"We will meet again..." He said before walking though.

"W-wait dammit! I'm…" Nero then succumbed to darkness.

* * *

**Chapter End!**

**Until next time.**


End file.
